Amsonia rigida Shuttlew. ex Small

Stiff Bluestars; Pond Bluestars

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Stiff Bluestars is a native perennial herbaceous plant in the Dogbane family (Apocynaceae). It occurs in extreme southeastern Alabama. Stiff Bluestars grows in wet and often flooded habitats such as along streams, in bogs, in gum ponds, in cypress ponds, and in wet roadside ditches. It is a perennial from a semi-woody caudex with thick cord-like roots. Usually several upright stems are produced in a clump. The stems are green in color and glabrous. Leaves are alternate and often crowded. The leaves low on the stem are scale-like. The upper leaves are short petiolate, elliptic to linear or ovate in outline, entire or with ciliate margins, and glabrous. The leaves are green above and pale green below. All parts of the plant emit a white milky sap when damaged. The flowers are produced in a terminal panicle. The flowers are funnelform with 5 spreading lobes. The flowers are white or very pale blue with a yellow throat and are glabrous. The fruit is a cylindrical follicle. Stiff Bluestars is listed as a S1 species in Alabama (typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G4 species (imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors). Stiff Bluestars is available from some wildflower nurseries. It prefers a wet or moist soil that is high in organic matter. It does best in full sun, but tolerates light shade. A similar Bluestar that is a possible variety of Stiff Bluestar or a new species occurs in roadside ditches in the Black Belt region of west Alabama and adjacent Mississippi. It is currently under study.--A. Diamond

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Native S1 (State Rank) G4 (Global Rank)

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