Nemesia caerulea is a blue- to purple- flowered herbaceous perennial member of the family Scrophulariaceae.[1] The plant is native to the Cape Floristic Province of southwestern South Africa, where it grows at low elevations on fully exposed north-facing and northwest-facing slopes in association with other native grasses and forbs.[2] Its chromosome number is 2n=18.[3]
| Nemesia caerulea | |
|---|---|
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| Nemesia caerulea in South Africa. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Nemesia |
| Species: | N. caerulea
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| Binomial name | |
| Nemesia caerulea | |
It produces many small flowers in shades of pink, blue and white (the Latin caerulea means "dark blue").[4] The flowers are two-lipped, the upper lip with four lobes and the lower lip with two lobes. In cultivation the two lips are often different colours.[5]
In temperate regions it is usually grown as an annual. The cultivar 'Sea Mist' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[6]
References
edit- ^ Datson, Paul M.; Brian G. Murray; Keith R. W. Hammett (2006). "Pollination systems, hybridization barriers and meiotic chromosome behaviour in Nemesia hybrids". Euphytica. 151 (2): 173–185. doi:10.1007/s10681-006-9138-z. S2CID 42283708.
- ^ Brand, Robert F.; Du Preez, Pieter J.; Brown, Leslie R. (2008). "A floristic description of the Afromontane fynbos communities on Platberg, Eastern Free State, South Africa". African Protected Area Conservation and Science. 50 (1). Retrieved 2010-09-20.
- ^ Steiner, Kim E. (1996). "Chromosome Numbers and Relationships in Tribe Hemimerideae (Scrophulariaceae)". Systematic Botany. 21 (1): 63–76. doi:10.2307/2419563. JSTOR 2419563.
- ^ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 978-1-84533-731-5.
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1-4053-3296-5.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Nemesia caerulea 'Sea Mist'". Retrieved 3 January 2021.
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