American bellflower

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American bellflower

American bellflower

American bellflower

American bellflower habit

American bellflower flowers

American bellflower habit

American bellflower flowers

American bellflower

American bellflower flowers

American bellflower

American bellflower

American bellflower

American bellflower

American bellflower leaf

American bellflower flower

Morphology

Stem

Erect, leafy, usually un-branched.

Leaves

Alternate, simple, stalked, thin, lanceolate to ovate-oblong, 3-6 inches long, 1/2 to 2 inches wide, often broadest at middle, glabrous or somewhat pubescent; bases narrowed; margins conspicuously toothed; tips pointed; upper leaves gradually reduced.

Inflorescence

Racemes, elongate, spike-like, 15-30 inches long, sparsely or densely flowered.

Flower

Deeply 5-lobed; calyx lobes linear, spreading; corollas wheel-shaped, approximately 1 inch wide, blue with whitish centers; style long-protruding, bending downward then curving upward.

Fruit

Capsules, stiffly erect, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long; seeds chestnut-brown, lustrous.

Ecology

Habitat

Damp shaded sites, open woods, and stream banks.

Distribution

Principally in the east third of Kansas.

Practical Information

Forage Value

White-tailed deer sometimes consume the leaves.

Synonyms

Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.