''Isotoma axillaris'', commonly known as rock isotome or showy isotome, is a small herbaceous perennial in the family

Campanulaceae The family Campanulaceae (also bellflower family), of the order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species in 84 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky sap. Among them are several familiar garden plants belon ...

. It usually has blue or mauve star-shaped flowers from September to May. It may also be called blue star, star flower, or laurentia.

Description

''Isotoma axillaris'' is an upright perennial herb growing to 50 cm high with ascending stems that are often a purplish colour and covered with short, soft hairs quickly becoming smooth. The leaves are about long and wide with deep, toothed, linear lobes sharply pointed at the apex. The single blue to mauve, rarely white or pink flowers appear in the leaf axils. The flower throat is occasionally white, greenish or a yellow colour. The five flower lobes are joined to the long flower tube on a peduncle long. The lobes are elliptic to oblong shaped, long, but are not joined and form a star-shaped flower. The seed capsule long. Flowering occurs between September and May in the species native range.

Taxonomy and naming

''Isotoma axillaris'' was first formally described by botanist

John Lindley John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

in 1826 in '' Edward's Botanical Register''. The genus name ''Isotoma'' is from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

''isos'' meaning "equal" or "like" and ''tomos'' meaning "a part". The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''axillaris'' is a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word meaning "of an axil", with reference to the flowers borne in the leaf axils.

Distribution and habitat

Showy isotoma occurs in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, often in moist crevices on rocky outcrops.

Garden use

''I. axillaris'' is grown as a garden plant. It is

winter hardy Hardiness of plants describes their ability to survive adverse growing conditions. It is usually limited to discussions of climatic adversity. Thus a plant's ability to tolerate cold, heat, drought, flooding, or wind are typically considered measur ...

to about ( USDA Zone 10). In colder areas, it may be grown as an

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

or overwintered indoors.

Missouri Botanical Garden The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located at 4344 Shaw Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder and philanthropist Henry Shaw. Its herbarium, with more than 6.6 million spe ...

plantfinder
''Isotoma axillaris''
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Gallery

Isotoma axillaris Narriah Mountain 02.jpg, leaves Isotoma axillaris Narriah Mountain 03.jpg, habitat Isotoma axillaris Narriah Mountain 01.jpg, habitat Rock Isotoma - Isotoma axillaris 01.jpg, flower detail

References

External links

''Isotoma axillaris'': images and occurrence data
from

Atlas of Living Australia The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is an online repository of information about Australian plants, animals, and fungi. Development started in 2006. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an organisation sign ...

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13860167 axillaris Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland

Plants described in 1826 Taxa named by John Lindley