OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Gentianales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Amsonia tabernaemontana   FAMILY Apocynaceae   Go to FSUS key



INCLUDING PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana   FAMILY Apocynaceae

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)

Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 156-01-001:

Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana   FAMILY Apocynaceae

INCLUDING & INCLUDED WITHIN Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)

Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Amsonia amsonia

SYNONYMOUS WITH Studies in the Apocynaceae. III. A monograph of the genus Amsonia (Woodson, 1928)

Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana

 

COMMON NAME:
Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_amam8_001_lvd

        

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm120330_198

March    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm180408_1091

April    McCormick County    SC

Parks Mill

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm180408_1091b

April    McCormick County    SC

Parks Mill

The sepals are deltoid and minute, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200411_3752

April    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

This plant has milky sap, which is characteristic of Apocynaceae, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200411_3754

April    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Flowers with 5 narrow spreading blue petals, in a crowded terminal cluster, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200411_3758

April    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Corolla tube distally pubescent externally, lanose internally, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200414_3789

April    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200415_3850

April    Greenville County    SC

Chandler Heritage Preserve

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200418_3927

April    Greenville County    SC

Ashmore Heritage Preserve

Leaves 3-6" long, elliptic to ovate, with narrowed tips and a dull surface, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm220409_6569

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm220409_6578

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm220421_7092

April    Pickens County    SC

Nine Times Preserve

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

Keith Bradley    kab_a_tabernaemonta_3808

April    Richland County    SC

W. Gordon Belser Arboretum

This tall smooth plant has alternate leaves, which is unusual in Apocynaceae, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200502_4506

May    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Notice the curves of these panicle branches. Are they always this graceful?

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200502_4510

May    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200502_4516

May    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200508_4752

May    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm190604_08945

June    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Fruits are paired, erect, linear follicles 2-4" long, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm190604_8941

June    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Its late season architecture is interesting, with leaves only on the outer side ...

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm190604_8947

June    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

...of curving branches. I have not seen this mentioned anywhere.

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm200920_7331

September    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Amsonia tabernaemontana, Eastern Bluestar, Blue Dogbane, Wideleaf Bluestar

JK Marlow    jkm211106_4835

November    Pickens County    SC

Palmetto Trail

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Amsonia tabernaemontana   FAMILY Apocynaceae

INCLUDING PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana   FAMILY Apocynaceae

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 156-01-001:
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana   FAMILY Apocynaceae

INCLUDING & INCLUDED WITHIN Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Amsonia amsonia

SYNONYMOUS WITH Studies in the Apocynaceae. III. A monograph of the genus Amsonia (Woodson, 1928)
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. tabernaemontana

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

82

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: floodplain forests, moist, rich slope forests, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (uncommon in Mountains)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Has milky sap (latex)

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate to nearly opposite

FLOWER:
Spring
Blue
Radially symmetrical
5-merous
Sepals minute
5-lobed salverform corolla
5 stamens
Bisexual

Inflorescence a panicle

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Paired follicles

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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