Mertensia lanceolata
 
Lance-Leaved Lungwort

Mid-Upper Stem Leaf Bottom

Oro Lake Regional Park
19-May-2007

Note the lack of distinct lateral veins.

Note that the key to the species in Budd's Flora requires "flowers 10-15 mm long; NOT [flowers 15-25 mm long]", while the key to the genera in the same flora requires "flowers smaller than 12-18 mm long".  The flowers of the specimen illustrated here are about 12 or 13 mm long.

Note also that  the key to the species in Budd's Flora requires "plants pubescent; NOT [plants entirely glabrous]", while the key to the species in Flora of Alberta requires "stems glabrous; NOT [stems pubescent]".  Both these statements are correct.  The stems are glabrous, but the leaves are scantily strigose.  Finally, the key to the genera in Flora of Alberta requires "plants usually rough-hairy; NOT [plants glabrous]".  This species is not really rough hairy.

Lanceolata: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF) and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this species. 

plants with taproot; NOT [plants with tuberous roots]

plants 10-30 cm high; NOT [plants 30-70 cm high] (BF)

plant usually less than 40 cm high (FOA)

plants pubescent; NOT [plants entirely glabrous] (BF)

stems glabrous; NOT [stems pubescent] (FOA)

stem leaves 2-10 cm long; NOT [stem leaves 5-15 cm long]

stem leaves mostly oblong-lanceolate; NOT [stem leaves elliptical], NOT [stem leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate]

cauline leaves without distinct lateral veins

flowers 10-15 mm long; NOT [flowers 15-25 mm long] (BF)

corolla-tube only slightly if at all longer than the throat and limb; NOT [corolla-tube at least twice as long as the throat and limb]

 

Mertensia: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF) and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this genus. 

plants smaller than to 1 m high

plants usually rough-hairy; NOT [plants glabrous] (FOA)

leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite or in whorls of 3]

flowers in cymes; NOT [flowers axillary]

flowers in non-leafy cymes, with or without small bracts; NOT [flowers in leafy cymes]

cymes bractless or only the lowest flowers with bracts; NOT [cymes bracteolate to the tip]

flowers several-many; NOT [flowers mostly solitary (2-4)]

inflorescence more or less congested; NOT [inflorescence elongate, flowers distant]

flowers smaller than 12-18 mm long (BF)

flowers blue; NOT [flowers white, yellow, purplish or reddish purple]

corolla tubular-funnelform; NOT [corolla rotate]

corolla 1 cm long or more; NOT [corolla less than 1 cm long]

ovary deeply 4-lobed, the style arising from the center between the lobes; NOT [ovary merely grooved, the style arising from the summit of the ovary]

nutlets lacking hooked prickles

 

Boraginaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 

herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

plants NOT twining

plants green or with some chlorophyll; NOT [plants parasitic or saprophytic, without chlorophyll]

plants WITHOUT milky juice

flowers NOT in heads or spikes; NOT [flowers in long or short spikes], NOT [flowers in heads or in form resembling a head]

inflorescence usually scorpioid

flowers with two floral rings, but with the petals wholly or partly united forming a tube or bell]

corolla regular; NOT [corolla irregular]

stamens alternating with corolla lobes, or twice their number; NOT [stamens directly in front of corolla lobes]

stamens 4 or 5; NOT [stamens 8 or 10]

ovary superior; NOT [ovary inferior]

styles from center of lobes of ovary; NOT [style terminal]

fruit with 4 nutlets; NOT [fruit a berry or capsule]