[The Genus Frasera East of the Cascade
Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Douglas' Frasera, Whitestem Frasera, White-stemmed Frasera
Frasera albicaulis var. albicaulis
Synonyms: Frasera nitida var. albicaulis, Leucocraspedum albicaule, Swertia albicaulis, Swertia albicaulis var. albicaulis, Swertia watsonii
The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of white-stemmed frasera (var. albicaulis) as seen on Zumwalt Prairie to the northeast of Enterprise, OR..........June 27, 2008.
Characteristics:
1. 4-petaled flowers have their petals widely reflexed outward.
The flowers are whitish to light blue, with a dark bluish to purplish mottling.
2. Flowers are located in tight racemes at the apex of the plant.
3. Stems are erect, and stiff.
4. The basal leaves are linear-oblanceolate in shape, to occasionally
spatulate.
5. The cauline (stem) leaves are opposite, much reduced upwards
on the stem, and linear-oblanceolate in shape.
6. Plants may be glabrous (green), but are more frequently densely
short haired (a grayish color as a result).
Habitat:
A plant of dry plains, grasslands, and sage brush prairies from
the lowlands well into the lower mountains.
Range:
White-stemmed Frasera is found from southern British Columbia
south along the eastern edge of the Cascade Mts to California and Nevada, and
eastward to Idaho and western Montana.
- 
- 
What appears to be rain-dappled white-stemmed frasera (var. albicaulis) as seen at Silver CreekMarsh Campground, Fremont National Forest...........May 20, 2016, 2016. This could also represent var. modocensis or var. nitida which are in the area.
- 
The photo above shows white-stemmed frasera (var. albicaulis) as seen on Zumwalt Prairie to the northeast of Enterprise, OR.........June 27, 2008.
- 
- 
- 
Additional close-up examples of white-stemmed frasera (var. albicaulis) as seen at Davis Canyon Natural Area Preserve, Okanogan County, Washington..........June 11, 2011.
Paul Slichter