Mertensia lanceolata (Lance-Leaved Lungwort) - photos and description
Looking straight down on plant.
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Stem leaf in above photo
Basal leaf in above photo
General: Early-flowering perennial with decumbent to erect stems and fleshy, glaucous foliage. Plants glabrous.
Flowers: Flowers showy, nodding, with pink flower buds opening to small sky blue flowers the last week of April into May. Flowers grow in dense panicles, we measured a flower at 13 mm long and 8 mm diameter.
Leaves: Basal leaves lanceolate, petiolate, we measured a basal leaf at 70 mm long and 12 mm wide including petiole. Stem leaves alternate, sessile, oblong, we measured a stem leaf at 35 mm long and 10 mm wide.
Height: Height listed in Budd's Flora to 30 cm tall. We've measured plants to 18 cm tall.
Habitat: Open prairie and hillsides in the extreme south of the province.
Abundance: Rare, ranked as an S3 (as of 2021) by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre.
Origin: Native.
When and where photographed: Photos taken April 29th, May 2nd, May 7th, May 11th, May 16th, and May 18th on prairie near the Souris River valley, Buffalo Grass Eco Reserve, 200 km SE of our home in Regina, SK and June 5th prairie in the Missouri Couteau, about 160 km south of our home in Regina, SK.