Nemesia caerulea

Nemesia caerulea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Nemesia
Species: N. caerulea
Binomial name
Nemesia caerulea
Hiern

Nemesia caerulea is a blue- to purple- flowered herbaceous perennial member of the Plantaginaceae family.[1] The plant is native to the Cape Floristic Province of southwestern South Africa, where it grows at low elevations on fully exposed north-facing and northwest-facing slopes in association with other native grasses and forbs.[2] Its chromosome number is 2n=18.[3]

It produces many small flowers in shades of pink, blue and white (the Latin caerulea means "dark blue").[4] The flowers are two-lipped, the upper lip with four lobes and the lower lip with two lobes. In cultivation the two lips are often different colours.[5]

In temperate regions it is usually grown as an annual. The cultivar 'Sea Mist' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Datson, Paul M.; Brian G. Murray and Keith R. W. Hammett (2006). "Pollination systems, hybridization barriers and meiotic chromosome behaviour in Nemesia hybrids". Euphytica 151 (2): 173–185. doi:10.1007/s10681-006-9138-z.
  2. ↑ Brandl, Robert F.; Pieter J. Du PreezII and Leslie R. BrownIII (2008). "A floristic description of the Afromontane fynbos communities on Platberg, Eastern Free State, South Africa". African Protected Area Conservation and Science 50 (1). Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  3. ↑ Steiner, Kim E. (1996). "Chromosome Numbers and Relationships in Tribe Hemimerideae (Scrophulariaceae)". Systematic Botany 21 (1): 63–76. doi:10.2307/2419563.
  4. ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
  5. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
  6. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Nemesia caerulea 'Sea Mist'". Retrieved 27 June 2013.