[The Gentian Family East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

The Genus Frasera and Swertia East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington

Flower of Elkweed, Giant Frasera, Giant Swertia, Deer Tongue: Frasera speciosa (Synonyms: Frasera angustifolia, Frasera macrophylla, Frasera speciosa var. angustifolia, Frasera speciosa var. stenosepala, Swertia radiata, Swertia radiata var. macrophylla, Tesseranthium angustifolium, Tesseranthium macrophyllum, Tesseranthium radiatum)

Giant Frasera: Frasera speciosa
Several members of this genus (F. albicaulis & F. speciosa) have bounced between the genus Swertia and Genus Frasera during the course of the past decade. Frasera is the currently accepted genus name for these 2 species according to the USDA Plant Database as well as both the groups currently updating the floras of Washington and Oregon.

Whitestem Frasera, Shining Swertia: Frasera albicaulis (Synonym: Swertia albicaulis) - Flowers with 4 floral parts. Multiple flower stems arise 20-50 cm high. Leaves white margined, mostly basal, those on the stems opposite. Flowering stems usually several. Flowers light blue or white with a single gland per petal.

Douglas' Frasera, Whitestem Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. albicaulis (Synonyms: Frasera nitida var. albicaulis, Leucocraspedum albicaule, Swertia albicaulis, Swertia albicaulis var. albicaulis, Swertia watsonii) - Stems and leaves uniformly covered with fine, minute hairs. Corolla bright blue. Crown scales lanceolate and divided at the tip into several long, linear segments. Found across central and eastern Washington east of the Cascade crest. Also found along the southern boundary of central and southeastern Oregon.

Columbia Frasera, Whitestem Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana (Synonyms: Frasera albicaulis ssp. columbiana, Swertia columbiana) - Stems glabrous. Corolla pale to dark blue but usually with darker-mottling. Sheath of basal leaves usually longer than 1.5 cm and bluish tinged, covered with fine, mintue hairs. Crown scales 3-4 mm long, lanceolate in outline, the tips divided into several erose to lacerate segments. Found west of the Deschutes River and upwards into the eastern foothills of the Cascades in north-central Oregon. Found in the eastern foothills of the Cascades in Klickitat & Yakima Counties of Washington.

Cusick's Elkweed, Cusick's Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. cusickii (Synonyms: Frasera caerulea, Frasera coerulea, Swertia albicaulis var. cusickii, Swertia cusickii, Swertia nitida ssp. cusickii) - Stems glabrous, the leaves glabrous with fine hairs at the leaf base and sometimes along the lower midrib. Crown scales 2.5-4.5 mm long, ovate in outline with nearly entire margins. Found across central Oregon from the northern half of Lake, Harney and Malheur counties north to the Ochoco, Aldrich and Strawberry Mts. and northeast to the area around LaGrande, OR.

Idaho Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. idahoensis (Synonyms: Swertia albicaulis var. idahoensis, Swertia idahoensis) - Stems glabrous. Corolla pale blue, usually not darker-mottled. Sheath of basal leaves usually less than 1.5 cm long, not bluish in color. Crown scales ovate in shape, 2-6 mm long, with the upper half of the margin divided into many narrow segments. Found in the Wallowa Mts. and Elkhorn Mts. of northeastern Oregon.

Modoc Frasera, Modoc Swertia: Frasera albicaulis var. modocensis (Synonyms: Frasera pahutensis, Swertia modocensis, Swertia bethelii, Swertia californica, Swertia modocensis, Swertia modocensis var. adglabra, Swertia nitida, Swertia pahutensis, Swertia shastensis, Swertia sierrae) - Stems and leaves uniformly covered with fine, minute hairs. Corolla pale blue. Scales of the corona entire to shallowy toothed. Found across the southern half of Klamath, Lake, Harney and Malheur counties of Oregon.

Whitestem Elkweed, Whitestem Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. nitida (Synonyms: Frasera albicaulis ssp. nitida, Frawera nitida, Swertia albicaulis var. nitida, Swertia eastwoodiae, Swertia lassenica, Swertia nitida) -

Clustered Frasera, Clustered Green Gentian, Clustered Swertia: Frasera fastigata (Synonym: Swertia fastigata) - Flowers with 4 floral parts. Leaves whorled on the stems, the whorls consisting of 3-5 leaves. Flowering stems usually single. Flowers creamy to clear blue to bluish-purple with a single gland per petal.

Alpine Bog Felwort, Felwort, Swertia: Swertia perennis (Synonym: Swertia perennis var. obtusa) - Flowers with 5 floral parts. Single flower stem from 10-50 cm high. Leaves largely basal, the few stem leaves are opposite and not white-margined. Flowering stems usually several. Style short and thick. Flowers bluish-purple with a pair of glands per petal.

Elkweed, Giant Frasera, Giant Swertia, Deer Tongue: Frasera speciosa (Synonyms: Frasera angustifolia, Frasera macrophylla, Frasera speciosa var. angustifolia, Frasera speciosa var. stenosepala, Swertia radiata, Swertia radiata var. macrophylla, Tesseranthium angustifolium, Tesseranthium macrophyllum, Tesseranthium radiatum) - Flowers with 4 floral parts. Single flowering stem from 0.5-2 meters high. Leaves whorled on stems, the whorls consisting of 3-5 leaves. flowering stems single. Flowers greenish-white to yellowish with purplish markings and a pair of glands on each petal..


Paul Slichter E-mail