Nemastylis geminiflora

Nuttall

Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s., 5: 157. 1837.

Common names: Prairie celestial
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Calydorea texana (Herbert) Baker Nemastylis acuta Whitehouse
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 399. Mentioned on page 398.

Plants slender, 12–40 cm. Bulbs 20–30 mm diam. Stems sturdy, usually branched, mainly from base. Leaves usually 3; blade linear to ensiform, usually exceeding rhipidia, 4–20 mm wide. Rhipidia usually 2-flowered; outer spathe 20–35 mm, inner 30–55 mm, apex dry. Tepals blue, white in center, white zone sometimes edged with dark blue, ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–3 cm; filaments distinct or connate basally, ca. 4 mm; anthers 11–15 mm; ovary conic, 4–5 mm; style branching above base of anthers; branches 5–6 mm. Capsules ovoid, truncate, (10–)14–20 mm. Seeds angular. 2n = 56.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Woodlands, prairies, and pastures

Distribution

V26 818-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Ark., Kans., La., Miss., Mo., Okla., Tex.

Discussion

The flowers of Nemastylis geminiflora open midmorning and fade before sundown.

There seems to be no merit in recognizing Nemastylis texana (E. Whitehouse 1936) for plants from southern Texas, said to have steel-blue flowers, more frequently found in oak woodlands than in prairies. Reports in the literature of N. geminiflora from Tennessee appear to be incorrect, possibly based on an early record from “E. Tennessee” (Dr. Eight s.n., NY). Ixia acuta W. P. C. Barton 1822 (not Lichtenstein ex Roemer & Schultes 1817) is an illegitimate name that pertains here.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Nemastylis geminiflora"
Peter Goldblatt +
Nuttall +
Prairie celestial +
Ala. +, Ark. +, Kans. +, La. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Okla. +  and Tex. +
Woodlands, prairies, and pastures +
Flowering Apr–Jun. +
Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s., +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Calydorea texana +  and Nemastylis acuta +
Nemastylis geminiflora +
Nemastylis +
species +