Palmer's Bluestar

Amsonia hirtella Standley, Proc. Biol. Soc
Wash. 26: 118. 1913.
Amsonia pogonosepala Woodson, Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 15: 412. 1928. Amsonia Standleyi Woodson, Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 15: 413. 1928. Amsonia arizonica A. Nelson, Am. Jour. Bot. 18: 432. 1931.
Stems 3-8 dm. tall, glabrous to rather densely pubescent; leaves alternate to subverticillate, firmly membranaceous, narrowly oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 3-7 cm. long, 0.2-1.4 cm. broad, acutely acuminate, acute to obtusish at the base, wholly glabrous to densely tomentulose, the petioles 1-2 mm. long or nearly obsolete; inflorescence somewhat congested to relatively lax, more or less surpassing the foliage, bearing several, rather small, pale-lead-blue flowers; pedicels 1-3 mm. long; calyx-lobes linear-lanceolate, barbellate, or pilosulous throughout; corolla glabrous externally, the tube 10-15 mm. long, about 1 mm. in diameter at the base, somewhat inflated above the insertion of the stamens, slightly constricted at the orifice, the lobes 5-6 mm. long, spreading; follicles stout, continuous, 6-8 cm. long, glabrous.
Type locality: Near the Upper Comer Monument, Grant County, New Mexico. Distribution: New Mexico and Arizona.

Amsonia palmeri A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 12: 64. 1876
Amsonia Fremontii Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 40: 465, nomen nudum. 1913. Amsonia Kearneyana Woodson, Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 15: 415. 1928.
Stems 3-8 dm. tall, glabrous to pubescent; leaves alternate, firmly membranaceous, oblonglanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 2.5-7 cm. long, 0.4-1.5 cm. broad, acute to acuminate, obtuse or obtusish at the base, glabrous to somewhat pubescent, the petioles 1-3 mm. long; inflorescence very congested, usually well surpassing the foliage, bearing several to relatively few, small, pale-lead-blue flowers; pedicels 1 mm. long to nearly obsolete; calyx-lobes lance-triangular, acuminate, 3-5 mm. long, densely pilosulous to nearly glabrate; corolla glabrous externally, the tube 10-18 mm. long, about 1 mm. in diameter at the base, somewhat inflated at the insertion of the stamens, slightly constricted at the orifice, the lobes 3-5 mm. long, slightly spreading to essentially erect; follicles relatively stout, nearly continuous to slightly articulate, 3-6 cm. long, glabrous or nearly so.
Type locawty: Arizona. Distribution: New Mexico and Arizona.