WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

Leafy clumps of stems 2–3-feet tall and wide can form dense stands covered with hanging clusters of blue, bell-shaped flowers. Note the leaves have a prominent network of lateral veins without hairs on the edges, and the pointed sepal (calyx) lobes beneath the petals are divided almost to the base and hairy along the edges.

FLOWER: May–August. Loose clusters of hanging, tubular, bell-shaped flowers. The floral tube of 5 united petals is 3/16–3/8-inch long (5–9 mm); it expands into a slightly bell-shape with 5 rounded, spreading tips; sepal (calyx) lobes have strongly hairy margins, pointed tips and are separate nearly to the base; anthers project beyond the throat of the inner flower tube.

LEAVES: Basal leaves oblong to elliptic, to 8-inches long (20 cm), 3 1/2-inches wide (9 cm), with stems (petioles) as long as the blades; upper surface with tiny stiff, flat lying hairs, bottom surface hairless to slightly hairy. Stem leaves similar, alternate; upper leaves stemless (sessile).

HABITAT: Moist soils of meadows, streamsides, open forests; mixed conifer forests.

ELEVATION: 7,000–11,50 feet.

RANGE: AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Another large species, Fringed Bluebells, M. ciliata, has textured leaves but the surfaces are hairless and the edges have ciliate hairs. Narrowleaf Bluebells, M. lanceolata, has narrow leaves without a prominent network of veins and hairy on the top surface.

NM COUNTIES: Common throughout the mountains of NM in high-elevation, moist habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Grant, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.