About the Flowers

Penstemon azureus Penstemon azureus is part of subgenus Saccanthera, it has relatively large blue flowers and is evergreen. One of the striking characteristics of P. azureus is the difference in bud color relative to the flower color (the bud color being a bright golden yellow). It is found in western North America, native to the foothills and middle elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Little is known about the diverstity of pollinators for this flower. For this study we were examining the pollinators that visit P. azureus, and the morphology of the flowers. We were particularly interested in investigating how the morphological characteristics relate to pollinator visitation.

Camassia quamash Camassia leichtlinii

Camassia (Camas Lily) Camas Lillies have dominated grassland prairies and oak savannas in the western region of North America from California to coastal British Columbia. Historically, local people used camas bulbs extensively and traditional gathering sites were passed down across generations of tribal families who bartered camas for their value as a sweetener, food source, and as a part of wedding and funeral rites. Today, the two most prevalent species are small or common camas (Camassia quamash) and great camas (Camassia leichtlinii). These wetland plants produce spectacular floral displays from mid April to early June; the flowers are sometimes so dense that they resemble a blue lake. Although the plants grow from sea level up to 10,800 feet, the two species vary slightly in habitat and geographic range: great camas appears to be more shade tolerant and has a relatively restricted distribution from Nevada westward, whereas common camas extends father east to Wyoming and may be more common in the wetlands.

California State University, Sacramento /Department of Biological Sciences /Shannon Datwyler/SCAP 2007

Last Updated 26 June 2007