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red besseya
Scientific Name: Besseya rubra
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Besseya rubra: Red Besseya
Besseya rubra, also known as Red Besseya, Red Coraldrops, or Red Kittentails, is a perennial forb (a non-woody, non-grass plant) belonging to the Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae) family.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Besseya rubra (Douglas ex Hook.) Rydb.
- Synonym: Synthyris rubra (Douglas ex Hook.) Benth.
- Family: Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae)
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Taxonomic Rank: Species
- Nomencl. ref.: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 30: 280. 1903.
Common Names
- Red Besseya
- Red Coraldrops
- Red Kittentails
Distribution and Habitat
- East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington.
- Found in dry, open slopes and foothills to alpine regions.
- Native to open grasslands, dry meadows, and prairies.
- Observed at Robinson County Park, Latah County, Idaho.
Morphological Characteristics
- Perennial plant that blooms in late spring.
- Has a tuft of erect leaves.
- Stems are hairy when young, becoming hairless later.
- Basal leaves have a long petiole (leaf stalk) and a widely oval blade, 1-5 inches long, with toothed edges.
- Stems are typically 20-60 cm tall, thick, and single.
- Flowers are without petals and arranged in dense spikes.
- Stamens: 2, filaments 4-6 mm long, dark red stigma.
- Shiny, upright, basal, oval leaves with a long petiole.
Ecology
- Serves as a larval host plant for some butterfly species, such as those of the Euphydryas anicia group, alongside plants like Castilleja integra.
Quirky Facts
- Red Besseya isn't an evergreen.
- During the spring, it assumes a pink coloring.
Further Information
- USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
- Discover Life
- Oregon Flora Project
- Drone-Application-Server database