''Valeriana congesta'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Plectritis congesta'', is a species of flowering plant in the

honeysuckle family The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species, in 33, to 42 genera, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and eas ...

. It is known by several common names, including shortspur seablush and rosy plectritis.Hitchcock, C.L. and Cronquist, A. 2018. Flora of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd Edition, p. 633. University of Washington Press, Seattle. It is native to western North America.

Description

''Valeriana congesta'' is an annual herb growing erect tall. The widely spaced, paired and oppositely arranged leaves are oval or somewhat oblong, smooth-edged, and up to long by wide. The upper ones lack petioles. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a dense headlike cluster of flowers in shades of bright pink to nearly white. Each flower has an upper and lower lobed lip under long and three protruding

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s tipped with purple anthers bearing yellow

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

Range and Habitat

''Valeriana congesta'' is native to western North America from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

(including

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

) through

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

and

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

to southern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, where it is a common plant in coastal forests, seashores, mountain meadows, and other habitats. It is notable for growing in profusion on the serpentine coastal bluffs of Washington Park near Anacortes Washington.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by

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 1827 as ''Valerianella congesta''. It was transferred to the genus ''Plectritis'' in 1830, and to ''

Valeriana ''Valeriana'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, members of which may by commonly known as valerians. It contains many species, including the garden valerian, ''Valeriana officinalis''. Species are native to all continen ...

'' in 2018 when evidence suggested that ''Plectritis'' is a clade within ''

''. , some sources maintain it in ''Plectritis''.

References

External links

Washington Burke Museum

Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q95921429, from2=Q7204397 Valerianoideae Flora of British Columbia Flora of Washington (state) Flora of Oregon Flora of California Flora without expected TNC conservation status