Trichostema dichotomum L.
Eastern blue curls, forked bluecurls, blue curls, bastard pennyroyal
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Asteridae A large class that encompasses asters
Order Lamiales Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family Lamiaceae Mint family
Genus Trichostema “Hairlike stamens”
Species dichotomum Forked in, or repeatedly dividing into, pairs
About plant names...
Blue curls are North American natives, members of the mint family. Trichostema means "hairlike stamens."
Identification: Plants are 4-30″ (10-76 cm) in height—the ones
I have seen are at the low end of that range. Foliage is multiply branched and the main stems may be
tinged with red. Flowers are ½-¾″ (1.3-1.9 cm) long × ¼-5/16″ (6.3-8.3 mm) wide.
Flowers are blue, with four upper petals about the same size, and a long lower petal that is spotted
and contains white. The most unique feature of these flowers are several long, arching stamens,
poking out of the top of the flower and hanging downward in front. Leaves are small (less than 1″ (2.5 cm) long), hairy, entire , and lacking
in teeth.
From Britton, Nathaniel Lord, and Brown, Addison, An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions , 1913, p. Vol. 3: 105.
Online References:
Www.jeffpippen.com
Southeastern Flora, the Southeastern U.S. Plant Identification Resource
Missouriplants.com
The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site
CalPhotos
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Wikimedia Commons
Forestry Images
Nature Photography by Shirley Denton
8/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 16 cm)
7/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm)
8/19/2018 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)
8/19/2018 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm)
8/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 6″ (9.4 × 14 cm)
8/4/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)
Older scientific or horticultural names
Trichostema dichotomum L. var. puberulum Fernald & Grisc.
Trichostema pilosum Roth
Trichostema dichotomum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 23 Aug 2020.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
8/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)
8/19/2018 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)
8/2/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm)
7/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 2½ × 3½″ (6.6 × 9.8 cm)
7/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 2½ × 3½″ (6.6 × 9.8 cm)
8/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 2½ × 3½″ (6.3 × 9.4 cm)
8/4/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm)
8/6/2017 · Andres Art Institute, Big Bear Mountain, Brookline, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)
9/16/2013 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm)
Range:
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