Nemophila

Nemophila
Nemophila
baby blue eyes
Nemophila menziesii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: (unplaced)
Family: Boraginaceae
Subfamily: Hydrophylloideae
Genus: Nemophila
Nutt.

Nemophila is a genus found in the flowering plant family Hydrophyllaceae.

Most of the species in Nemophila contain the phrase "baby blue-eyes" in their common names. N. menziesii has the common name of "Baby blue-eyes". N. parviflora is called the "Smallflower baby blue-eyes" and N. spatulata is called the "Sierra baby blue-eyes". An exception to this naming tendency is N. maculata, whose common name is Fivespot.

Nemophila species are mainly native to the western United States, though some species are also found in western Canada and Mexico, and in the southeastern United States.

Nemophila are commonly offered for sale for garden cultivation. Generally these are N. menziesii.

Contents

Description

All species of Nemophila are annuals, and most bloom in the spring. Their flowers have five petals and are bell or cup-shaped, and purple, blue, or white in color, often spotted or marked. The stamens are included and there is only one ovary chamber.

The leaves are simple, with an opposite or alternate arrangement. The petiole is generally bristly. The leaf blade is pinnately toothed or lobed.

The fruit is 2-7 mm wide and generally enclosed by the calyx. The fruit itself is spherical to ovoid in shape. It is also hairy.

The seeds are ovoid, smooth, wrinkled or pitted. At one end there is a colorless, conic appendage.

Occurrence

Some of the species of Nemophila are of restricted range. For example, Nemophila menziesii has been observed only in western North America, but chiefly in California.[1] Nemophila heterophylla occurs in a more restricted range within northern and central California (with some proximate state populations); N. heterophylla has the greatest number of sightings Marin County at locations such as Ring Mountain.[2]

Etymology

Nemophila means “woodland-loving.” It comes from the Latin word nemus, which means "grove" and the Greek word philos, which means "loving".

Species

There are 11 species in Nemophila:

N. menziesii, N. parviflora, and N. pulchella have varieties under each species.

Notes

  1. ^ Calflora, Nemophila menziesii [1]
  2. ^ C. Michael Hogan (2008) Ring Mountain, The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham [2]

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • nemophila — [nē mäf′ə lə, nəmäf′ə lə] n. 〚ModL < Gr nemos, a wooded pasture, orig. wooded valley (< IE base * nem , to bend, form a hollow > NAMASTE) + ModL phila, suffix indicating attraction toward < L, neut. pl. of philus, PHILOUS〛 any of a genus… …   Universalium

  • nemophila — [nē mäf′ə lə, nəmäf′ə lə] n. [ModL < Gr nemos, a wooded pasture, orig. wooded valley (< IE base * nem , to bend, form a hollow > NAMASTE) + ModL phila, suffix indicating attraction toward < L, neut. pl. of philus, PHILOUS] any of a… …   English World dictionary

  • Nemophĭla — Nemophĭla. (N. Barton) Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Hydrophylleae, 5. Kl. 1. Ordn. L.; Arten: N. phacelioides, in Nordamerika; N. insignis, bes. in Californien; beide schön blau blühend, als Zierpflanzen bei uns cultivirt, u. m. a …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Nemophĭla — Benth. (Triftenfreund), Gattung der Hydrophyllazeen, zarte, niederliegende, einjährige Kräuter mit mehr oder weniger fiederteiligen Blättern, meist ansehnlichen, gestielten Einzelblüten und einfächeriger Kapsel. Elf Arten in Nordamerika, von… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Nemophila — Nemophĭla Nutt., Hainschönchen, Triftenblume Pflanzengattg. der Hydrophyllazeen, kaliforn. einjährige Kräuter. N. insignis Benth. und N. maculāta Benth. mit himmelblauen Blüten u.a. Arten Gartenpflanzen …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • nemophila — ● nemophila nom masculin Herbe annuelle (hydrophyllacée) originaire d Amérique du Nord, cultivée dans les jardins pour ses nombreuses fleurs blanches tachées de noir …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Nemophila —   [zu griechisch némos »Wald« und phílē »Freundin«], die Pflanzengattung Hainblume.   …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Nemophila —   Nemophila …   Wikipedia Español

  • nemophila — noun any plant of the genus Nemophila • Hypernyms: ↑herb, ↑herbaceous plant • Hyponyms: ↑five spot, ↑Nemophila maculata • Member Holonyms: ↑genus Nemophila …   Useful english dictionary

  • nemophila — noun Etymology: New Latin, from Greek nemos wooded pasture + philos loving Date: 1838 any of a genus (Nemophila) of annual herbs of the waterleaf family chiefly of western North America that are cultivated for their showy blue or white sometimes… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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