[The Genus Frasera in the Cascade
Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Elkweed, Giant Frasera, Giant Swertia, Deer Tongue
Frasera speciosa
Synonym: Swertia radiata
The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of giant Frasera
as seen from Meacham, OR...............June 25, 2008.
Characteristics:
4-petaled flowers have their petals widely reflexed outward.
The flowers are whitish to yellow-green, with a dark bluish to purplish mottling.
Flowers are located in loose to tight racemes on elongated
stems.
Stems are thick, erect, and stiff.
The basal leaves are linear-oblanceolate in shape, to occasionally
spatulate.
The cauline (stem) leaves are in whorls of 3 to 5 leaves.
They are much reduced upwards on the stem, and linear-oblanceolate in shape.
The basal leaves are much larger (3-15 cm long)
Habitat:
A plant of open to wooded slopes and valleys, found well up into
the mountains, including in alpine habitats.
Range:
Giant Frasera is found from eastern Washington southwards through
eastern Oregon into California and to northern Mexico, and extending eastward
to the Dakotas and New Mexico.
- ![Basal leaves 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)](speciosa/speciosa07-25-2015b.jpg)
Close-up images of the basal leaves of giant frasera as seen along the Ironstone Trail #1141, William O. Douglas Wilderness........July 25, 2015.
-
- ![Frasera speciosa](../../../../basin/4petal/gentian/swertia/speciosa/speciosa1a.jpg)
Close-up images of the flowers and habitat of giant Frasera
as seen from Meacham, OR........June 25, 2008.
![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)](../../../../basin/4petal/gentian/swertia/speciosa/speciosa8a.jpg)
A view showing typical grassland habitat of giant frasera as seen at the head of Kiger Gorge, Steens Mountain........July 11, 2014.
- ![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)](../../../../basin/4petal/gentian/swertia/speciosa/speciosa10b.jpg)
- ![Sideview of a 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)](../../../../basin/4petal/gentian/swertia/speciosa/speciosa10c.jpg)
Giant frasera as seen on slopes surrounding the east and north side of Wildhorse Lake, Steens Mountain.........July 10, 2014.
Paul Slichter