[Fraseras: The Genus Frasera in the Columbia River
Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
Columbia Frasera, White-stemmed Frasera
Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana
Synonyms: Frasera albicaulis ssp. columbiana, Swertia columbiana
This photo shows a close-up of the flower of white-stemmed
frasera as seen from the southern slopes of Mt. Adams.......late May, 2005.
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.
In the Columbia River Gorge, white-stemmed frasera may be found
between the elevations of 100'-3800' from Underwood, WA east past Biggs, OR.
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White-stemmed frasera blooming at left at Brooks Memorial State Park near Satus Pass, Washington........May 24, 2015. The photo at right shows a ripe seed head of white-stemmed frasera as seen on user trails at Memaloose, Columbia River Gorge.......October 16, 2020.
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White-stemmed frasera blooming on slopes above the Klickitat River near Klickitat, WA.....April 29, 2021.
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The photo at left shows the inflorescence of white-stemmed frasera as seen on the crest of the Columbia Hills........June 3, 2006. Note the ants attracted to the glands at the base of each petal. The photo at right shows newly emerged leaves of white-stemmed frasera as seen along trails at the Lyle Cherry Orchard, about one mile east of Lyle, WA......March 11, 2022.
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The photo at left shows the stem leaves of white-stemmed
frasera and the buds of the inflorescence as seen above 3000' on the southern
slopes of Mt. Adams..........early May, 2005. Note the leaf margins which are
both silver-lined and upturned. The photo at right shows the leaves of white-stemmed frasera emerging from the ground on the south-facing slopes of Sevenmile Hill (USFS lands) near The Dalles, OR......March 4, 2021.
Paul Slichter