About Amsonia tomentosa Torr. & Frém.
Amsonia tomentosa, scientifically named Amsonia tomentosa Torr. & Frém., is a species of flowering plant. It is native to the southwestern United States (including southern California, southern Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas) and northern Mexico (specifically Chihuahua). Its common names are woolly bluestar and gray amsonia. This is a short, woody plant with many erect stems that rarely grow as tall as half a meter. The species has two distinct forms: a green hairless (glabrous) form, and a gray woolly form. Its leaves are oval with pointed tips, measuring about 3 centimeters long. Its flowers are white with either a green or blue tint; they are tubular at the base, with flat outward-facing faces and five petals. These flowers usually grow clustered in a cyme inflorescence. The fruits are pod-like follicles, which may split into sections, each holding one seed. There are two recognized varieties: Amsonia tomentosa var. stenophylla Kearney & Peebles, found in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, and Chihuahua; and Amsonia tomentosa var. tomentosa, found in southern California, southern Nevada, and northwestern Arizona. Among the Zuni people, a ceremonial compound poultice made from the root of the tomentosa variety is applied to rattlesnake bites.
