Mertensia oblongifolia
Boraginaceae
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
- Flower Form: 5 petals,bell shape, (Borage)
- Life Cycle: Annual, Perennial
- Height: 4–12 inches
- Habitat: East-side Forest, Meadow, Shrub-Steppe, Subalpine
- Found In: N Cascades NP, Steens, Wallowas
- Native: Yes
- Also Known As: Toiyabe Bluebells, Sagebrush Bluebells
