ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Mertensia virginica
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    LAMIALES
 FAMILY:   BORAGINACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Mertensia virginica
 AUTHORITY:  (L.) Pers.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    BLUEBELLS
    VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: MEVI3
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       UPLAND FOREST
         MESIC
       FLOODPLAIN FOREST
         MESIC
         WET-MESIC
         WET
     WETLAND
       BORDER OF LAKE
     PRIMARY
       BLUFF
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOONE           BUREAU          CALHOUN
   CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN       CHRISTIAN       CLARK
   CLAY            COLES           COOK            CRAWFORD        CUMBERLAND
   DEKALB          DEWITT          DOUGLAS         DUPAGE          EDWARDS
   EFFINGHAM       FAYETTE         FRANKLIN        FULTON          GREENE
   GRUNDY          HAMILTON        HANCOCK         HARDIN          HENDERSON
   HENRY           JACKSON         JASPER          JERSEY          JOHNSON
   KANE            KANKAKEE        KENDALL         KNOX            LAKE
   LASALLE         LAWRENCE        LEE             LIVINGSTON      LOGAN
   MCDONOUGH       MCLEAN          MACON           MACOUPIN        MADISON
   MARION          MARION          MARSHALL        MASON           MASSAC
   MENARD          MERCER          MONROE          MONTGOMERY      MOULTRIE
   OGLE            PEORIA          PERRY           PIATT           PIKE
   POPE            PULASKI         PUTNAM          RANDOLPH        RICHLAND
   ROCK ISLAND     ST. CLAIR       SALINE          SANGAMON        SCHUYLER
   SHELBY          STARK           STEPHENSON      TAZEWELL        UNION
   VERMILION       WABASH          WARREN          WASHINGTON      WAYNE
   WHITESIDE       WILL            WILLIAMSON      WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMY COMMENTS:
     This is including F. rosea Steyerm.
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Primary
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Oblong   Ovate   Oblanceolate     Obovate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Dischasium
    FLOWER MEROUS:  5
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Regular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Red   Blue   White
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Nut
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     This is a very smooth, glaucous plant; conspicuously veined leaves;
     trumpet shaped flowers that are occasionally white.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Occasional
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      3         MONTH END-      6
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed in shade to semi-shade.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:    No data entered
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  YES      AMOUNT:  High
     LANDSCAPING:  YES
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:    No data entered
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Jones, G. N.  1963.  Flora of Illinois.  Third ed.  American Midland Naturalist
     Monograph 7.  University of Notre Dame, Indiana.  401 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist.  1963.  Manual of vascular plants of north-
     eastern United States and adjacent Canada.  Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.,
     New York.  810 pp.
Fernald, M. L.  1950.  Gray's manual of botany.  8th ed.  American Book Co.,
     New York.  1632 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Downton, W. J. S.  1975.  The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.
     Photosynthetica 9(1): 96-105.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Mertensia virginica
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015