Boraginaceae

Mertensia oblongifolia

Prairie Mertensia

Erect, with many firmly attached stems, hairless to slightly hairy. Basal leaves with short petioles, seldom on flowering plants; stem leaves sessile, oblong, usually 2–7 times longer than wide. Flowers hanging in dense cluster, each flower less than 1/2 in. long. Grows with sagebrush or on open slopes at low to high elevations, including Steens and Wallowa mountains. Mertensia is named for German botanist Franz Carl Mertens (1764–1831).

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Annual, Perennial
• Height: 4--12 inches
• Habitat: Meadow, Shrub-Steppe, East-Side Forest, Subalpine
• Found In: Wallowas, Steens, N Cascades Np
• Native: Yes