Eustoma is a genus in the family Gentianaceae.

I'm a little confuse, about how many species comprise this genus.

Wikipedia mention three species, but don't enumerate the species. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...

Here: http://gentian.rutgers.edu/gen...

say only two accepted specie: Eustoma exaltatum and Eustoma grandiflorum.

The name of Eustoma grandiflorum was change in Eustoma russellianum.

On other sources http://www.wildflower.org/plan...

it is mention only Eustoma exaltatum with two subspecies. Eustoma exaltatum ssp.exaltatum and Eustoma exaltatum ssp.russelianum.
I think that is the last redefinition of the genus.

The plants are native in US.

Eustoma exaltatum

Eustoma exaltatum (Eustoma exaltatum ssp. exaltatum)

I found this plants in only one location. And were only a few plants. They were very, very, beautiful flowers

2011-May-23, Corpus Christi, Tx

They sure are beautiful Justin.
There used to be a field here in Arlington of about an acre full of them, it was an amazing sight, then they built a drilling site there and destroyed them all. I cried when I saw them destroyed.
Now two years later they are starting to come back on a very small scale but we hope the will be able to self seed.
Josephine.

Four species of Eustoma (Eustoma exaltatum, Eustoma barkleyi, Eustoma grandiflorum, and Eustoma russellianum) have been described at various times. However, they are currently classified as a single species, Eustoma exaltatum, with two subspecies, Eustoma exaltatum subsp. exaltatum and Eustoma exaltatum subsp. russellianum.

Beautiful flowers. I saw some at Galveston Island State Park when I was there last month.

frostweed said:They sure are beautiful Justin.
There used to be a field here in Arlington of about an acre full of them, it was an amazing sight, then they built a drilling site there and destroyed them all. I cried when I saw them destroyed.
Now two years later they are starting to come back on a very small scale but we hope the will be able to self seed.
Josephine.

I know how you feel Josephine. There is a field by my house where I go to photograph wildflowers that is now mostly a gated community. There is only about 25 of the original 75 acres left and that is constantly being mowed. I'm sure that the remaining land will be developed in the near future.

So sad Jay, that is why conservation of our native plants is so important. We all have to do our part however small.
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Kent, thank you for the information, you are very kind and helpful.
Josephine.

I saw some plants of Texas Bluebells (not blooming, of course) when I went on an outing last fall at a large property with a lake in NW Bexar Co. The chapter of NPSOT was going to come back for another outing there not long ago, but I heard that the bluebells near the lake had been somewhat submerged during heavy rainfalls in early May and thererefore they were not blooming for that outing. It's a species that people used to use for cut flowers a lot in the past. It really needs certain kinds of niche areas and should be left undisturbed, otherwise it tends to go away.

It's a short lived plant in general. It mostly grows as a biennial around here, but I've been told that is not the case everywhere. Here, it is pretty much restricted to alkaline wet meadows yet can be very abundant when conditions are suitable.

Back in my prairie/wetland restoration days, I could always count on it to establish where ever there were carbonate deposits at the soil surface. The restorations typically had a weedy look to them for the first several years so it was always reassuring to see the Eustoma blooming by the second year.

I think they are really beautiful, the area where I have seen it growing is a blackland prairie and it is amazing to see them growing even with large cracks in the soil, makes you wonder where they get the moisture they need.
Here are some of the pictures I took there when the field was full;

Those are some beautiful pictures Justin and Josephine
they would look great in the data base (hint hint)

Thank for appreciation and for extra informations.
Josephine, that field of flowers is fantastic. Gorgeous!

Thank you Justin for caring about Texas wildflowers

I call the wild flowers, 'Wildbeauty.'
And, searching and watching them, photographing them and trying to identify them, I call 'Journey to the Wildbeauty'

The word, for bird is 'birding'. For reptiles and amphibians it is 'herping'
Josephine do you know, is it a specific word for watching wild flowers?
If not, I propose to be 'Journey to the Wildbeauty'

I loved very much the wild flower and before. Everywhere they are superb.
But here, in Texas, I discovered this 'journey'. Thanks to the wild flowers of Texas and thanks to my Kodak camera.
Thank you very much Texans, to keep alive these treasures! And, thank you very much Mr.Kodak! Wherever you are.

Thank you Justin, it looks like we are very much alike in our love of native plants. I am doing the very best I can to grow them and saving them from extinction, it is my mission to conserve the native plants as much as I can.

I see them growing in ditches & open fields here just west of DFW in east Parker County. I had about a half dozen plants in my butterfly garden beds & am scattering their seeds into my meadow for next year! They were one of the only wild flowers that bloom in the heat of the summer here! Here is a picture of one of my flowers!

They are one of my favorite native wild flowers here!
Take care, Lila

Justin, thanks for starting this thread and compiling all the information on them. These are one of my favorite wildflowers which I call Texas bluebells. I have some growing in my garden and they have spread to other parts of my garden I've collected some of the seed pods so I'll have some more to sow and to share.

Lovely photo of you, Josephine, among the bluebells; I've not seen a field like that!

Betsy

Thank you Betsy, that was an amazing sight, and probably a once in a lifetime event!!