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Bluebonnet

 
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The bluebonnet, a name common to several North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n species of Lupin
Lupin

Lupin, often spelled lupine in North America, is the common name for members of the genus Lupinus in the legume family . The genus comprises between 200-600 species, with major centers of diversity in South America and western North America - ) and - in the Mediterranean region and Africa....
us, is the state flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
 of Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
. They typically grow about 0.3 m (1 ft) tall. The name may come from the shape of the petal
Petal

A petal is one member or part of the Corolla of a flower. The corolla is the name for all of the petals of a flower; the inner perianth whorl, term used when this is not the same in appearance as the outermost whorl and is used to attract pollinators based on its advertising coloration....
s of the flower and their resemblance to the bonnet
Bonnet (headgear)

Bonnet, derived from the same word in Old French, where it originally indicated a type of material, has been and is used for various kinds of headgear for both sexes, which have in common only the absence of a brim....
s worn by pioneer women to shield themselves from the sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
. It may instead be derived from the Scottish
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 term Bluebonnet
Tam o'shanter (hat)

A tam o'shanter is a Scotland Bonnet worn by men which was named after the character Tam o' Shanter in the poem of that name by Robert Burns....
, for the traditional blue coloured version of the Tam o'shanter hat.

Lupinus texensis is almost exclusively blue
Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440?490 Nanometre....
 in the wild.






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Encyclopedia


The bluebonnet, a name common to several North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n species of Lupin
Lupin

Lupin, often spelled lupine in North America, is the common name for members of the genus Lupinus in the legume family . The genus comprises between 200-600 species, with major centers of diversity in South America and western North America - ) and - in the Mediterranean region and Africa....
us, is the state flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
 of Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
. They typically grow about 0.3 m (1 ft) tall. The name may come from the shape of the petal
Petal

A petal is one member or part of the Corolla of a flower. The corolla is the name for all of the petals of a flower; the inner perianth whorl, term used when this is not the same in appearance as the outermost whorl and is used to attract pollinators based on its advertising coloration....
s of the flower and their resemblance to the bonnet
Bonnet (headgear)

Bonnet, derived from the same word in Old French, where it originally indicated a type of material, has been and is used for various kinds of headgear for both sexes, which have in common only the absence of a brim....
s worn by pioneer women to shield themselves from the sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
. It may instead be derived from the Scottish
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 term Bluebonnet
Tam o'shanter (hat)

A tam o'shanter is a Scotland Bonnet worn by men which was named after the character Tam o' Shanter in the poem of that name by Robert Burns....
, for the traditional blue coloured version of the Tam o'shanter hat.

Lupinus texensis is almost exclusively blue
Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440?490 Nanometre....
 in the wild. A random genetic mutation does occasionally create an albino white bluebonnet naturally. Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University, often called A&M or TAMU, is a coeducational public university research university located in College Station, Texas, Texas....
 researchers were successful in breeding red
Red

Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 625?740 Nanometer....
 and white
White

White is a color, the Color vision#Physiology of color perception which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in near equal amount and with high brightness compared to the surroundings....
 strains
Strain (biology)

In biology, strain is a low-level taxonomic rank used in three related ways....
, creating a Texas state flag in bluebonnets for the 1986 Texas Sesquicentennial. Further research led to a deep maroon
Maroon (color)

Maroon is a dark brownish-red color....
 strain, the university's official color.

Lupinus argenteus var. palmeri (syn. L. palmeri) grows in Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
, Colorado
Colorado

The State of Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Mountain States of the United States of America. Colorado may also be considered to be a part of the Western United States and Southwestern United States regions of the United States....
, Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
, Arizona
Arizona

The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
 and New Mexico
New Mexico

New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....
. It is commonly referred to as a bluebonnet lupine.

Texas traditions


On March 7, 1901, Lupinus subcarnosus (also known as Buffalo clover) became the only species of bluebonnet recognized as the state flower of Texas. However, Lupinus texensis
Lupinus texensis

Lupinus texensis is a species of lupine which is endemic to Texas. With other related species of lupines also called bluebonnets, it is the list of U.S....
 (Texas bluebonnet) emerged as the favorite of most Texans. The flowers' deep blue blossom
Blossom

Blossom is a term given to the flowers of stone fruit fruit tree and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely but for a short period of time in the spring....
s can be seen from March through May in many areas of Texas. As a result of this popularity, in 1971 the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature

The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Texas Senate with 31 members, and the lower house Texas House of Representatives with 150 members....
 made any species of bluebonnet the state flower, including L. subcarnosus, L. texensis, L. concinnus, L. plattensis and L. havardii. Lupinus texensis remains as the iconic Texas bluebonnet.

A popular spring pastime in Texas is photographing children, family members, and pets among the bluebonnets. Many families return to the same spot every year for photographs as part of a family tradition.

Another Texas tradition was started by Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969, having been the wife of President of the United States Lyndon B....
, after her return from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
 as First Lady to President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Lady Bird persuaded the government of the State of Texas to seed bluebonnets and other wildflowers along the highways throughout the state. Every spring the flowers return as a legacy of the First Lady.

Urban legend


It is a persistent urban legend that it is illegal to pick bluebonnets in Texas, possibly because the bluebonnet is Texas' state flower. In fact, it is perfectly legal to pick them. Part of the confusion may stem from illegal activity associated with the picking of the flower, such as parking along busy highways or trespassing on private property.

Gallery


External links

  • , a source for more information about bluebonnets
  • , a source for information about bluebonnets and other native Texas plants.
  • Details of the Texas A&M University's
  • listing reports of wildflowers along state highways