Nemesia caerulea

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
Nemesia caerulea in South Africa.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Nemesia
Species:
N. caerulea
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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Steiner, Kim E. (1996). "Chromosome Numbers and Relationships in Tribe Hemimerideae (Scrophulariaceae)". Systematic Botany. 21 (1): 63–76. doi:10.2307/2419563. JSTOR 2419563.
  4. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 978-1-84533-731-5.
  5. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1-4053-3296-5.
  6. "RHS Plant Selector - Nemesia caerulea 'Sea Mist'". Retrieved 3 January 2021.


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