''Porterella'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the

bellflower family The family (biology), family Campanulaceae (also bellflower family), of the order (biology), order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species in 84 genus, genera of herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plant, plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees ...

containing the single species ''Porterella carnosula'', which is known by the common name fleshy porterella, or simply porterella. The species is native to the western United States from

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, where it grows in moist spots, such as ponds or wet

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

s, sometimes just at the edge of the water or partially submerged. It is an annual herb producing an erect stem to a maximum height around 30 centimeters. The leaves along the stem are oval or triangular, those growing beneath the surface of the water more triangular in shape. They measure up to 1.5 centimeters long by half a centimeter wide. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

bears showy flowers which are quite similar in appearance to those of some species in sister genus '' Downingia''. Each has a narrow tubular throat opening into a wide corolla with two narrow pointed upper lobes and three wider, rounded lower lobes each with a small tooth. The upper lobes are deep blue, and the lower lobes are a similar shade with an area of white and bright yellow near the throat. The

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s are fused into a single unit tipped with tiny toothlike anthers. The genus is named for Thomas Conrad Porter.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment

USDA Plants Profile

Photo gallery
Lobelioideae Monotypic Campanulaceae genera {{Campanulaceae-stub