siberian bluebells

The Japanese bluebell is a nectariferous and herbaceous perennial plant with smooth, elliptical or simple, entire, heart-shaped leaves that grow up to 8 x 5 in and have blue-green coloration. Starting from the ground up, they are rhizomatous with the rhizomes transversely spreading and a singular, glabrous, sulcate stem that can grow up to 60 cm tall and only branches the inflorescences. The basal leaves are petiolate with a leaf blade that is ovate to ovate-oblong, fleshy and abaxially glaucous with convex dots, and the base of the leaves are broadly cuneate or somewhat cordate with a short acuminate apex; the lateral veins are arcuate and raised abaxially. The stem leaves are sessile, elliptic to linear-oblong with an attenuate base and an acute to acuminate apex.There are usually 2 or 3 terminal cymes that become paniculate, glabrous and few flowered along a curved rachis.The abundant, waxy flowers have a purplish-blue bell-shape, and grow up to 1 inch in length. The flowers are widely spaced with the calyx campanulate and 5-parted nearly to the base, lobes that are narrowly ovate to linear-ovate and an obtuse apex. The corolla is blue, the smooth throat appendages fold transversely, the lib is slightly shorter than the tube, the lobes are slightly spreading and broadly ovate with the margin being entire or repand, the apex being obtuse, and the veins distinct. …

This rare, relict, hemicryptophyte is endemic to hillside meadows and forests in eastern Siberia and northern China. It grows in isolated locations with a special microclimate of floating warm fogs along the north-western border of its habitat, in the Lower Yenisei. Along the south-eastern border of its habitat, it grows in the forest communities of the Chikoy Range, which is located on the border between the Chita region and Buryatia. This species grows within relict taiga forests, grassy tundras, in meadows, along forest edges, pebble beaches, along streams, and on moist mountains. This peculiar species relates to its high demand for moist substrates.