western marbleseed

(Lithospermum occidentale)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

 
western marbleseed
Photo by Greg Watson
 
Description

Western marbleseed, also called western false gromwell, is a 12 to 28 tall, erect or ascending, perennial forb that rises on several stems from a stout, woody root.

The stems are erect, leafy, and often unbranched below the inflorescence. They are moderately to densely covered with appressed-ascending hairs of about equal length and with scattered, loosely ascending to spreading hairs.

Basal leaves are absent and lower leaves withered or absent by the time the plant is in flower. Stem leaves are alternate, stalkless, unlobed, and untoothed. The leaf blades are lance-shaped to narrowly egg-shaped, ¾ to 3 long, and ½ to ¾ wide. They are angled or tapered at the base and angled or tapered to a sharp point at the tip. There is a midvein and 2 or 3 pairs of lateral veins that curve toward the leaf tip. The veins are strongly recessed on the upper surface, strongly raised on the lower surface. The upper and lower leaf surfaces are densely covered with appressed to loosely appressed hairs, all of about equal length.

The inflorescence is a crowded, one-sided, coiled, unbranched, spike-like cluster (raceme) at the ends of the stem and branches. The shape of the raceme resembles a scorpion’s tail.

The flowers are to long, 1½ to 2 times as long as wide, and tubular-shaped, converging to a point near the tip with straight sides along the tip. The 5 petals are dull white or greenish white and hairy. The style protrudes from the floral tube. These flowers mature reproductively well before the petals are developed.

The fruit is a white, smooth, shiny, marble-like, to 3 16 (3.5 to 5 mm) in diameter nutlet. It does not have a collar around the attachment point. It remains on the plant throughout the winter.

 

Height

12 to 28

 

Flower Color

Dull white or greenish white

 

Similar Species

Softhair marbleseed (Lithospermum parviflorum) is the eastern species. It is a taller plant, up to 48 tall. The leaves are much larger, up to 5½long and 1½ wide. The nutlet is dull and less than in diameter, and has a small collar around the attachment point.

Habitat

Moderately dry. Prairies, open woods. Full sun.

Ecology

Flowering

June to July

 

Pests and Diseases

 

Use

 

Distribution

Range Map – western marbleseed

 

Sources

2, 3, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 6/23/2025).

6/23/2025    
     

Nativity

Native

     

Occurrence

 

Taxonomy
Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)
Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)
Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)
Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)
Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)
Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)
Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)
Superorder Asteranae

Order

Boraginales (borages)

Family

Boraginaceae (borage)
Subfamily Boraginoideae
Tribe Lithospermeae

Genus

Lithospermum (stoneseeds, puccoons, and gromwells)
   

The nomenclature for this species has been in flux for more than two decades. It was originally listed as Onosmodium molle ssp. occidentale. In 1995 it was renamed Onosmodium bejariense var. occidentale (Turner, 1995). In 2009, based on a reassessment of DNA data, all of the species in the genus Onosmodium and four other genera were transferred to the genus Lithospermum. This subspecies, along with ssp. hispidissimum (softhair marbleseed), became synonyms of Lithospermum onosmodium. In December, 2011, the former subspecies of Onosmodium bejariense were raised to specific rank (Cohen and Davis, 2011). The new name of this species, complete with author, is Lithospermum occidentale Weakley, Witsell & D. Estes.

The following reputable and current (online) sources are not in agreement regarding the scientific name for this plant as of this writing (6/23/2025).

   

Flora of North America

Volume under production

GRIN

Lithospermum onosmodium

USDA PLANTS

Onosmodium bejariense var. occidentale

ITIS

Onosmodium bejariense var. occidentale

NatureServe

Onosmodium bejariense ssp. occidentale

MnTaxa

Onosmodium molle var. occidentale

Catalog of Life

Lithospermum occidentale

GBIF

Lithospermum occidentale

BONAP

Lithospermum occidentale

NCBI

Lithospermum occidentale

iNaturalist

Lithospermum occidentale

Plants of the World Online (POWO)

Lithospermum occidentale

World Flora Online

Lithospermum occidentale

   

The name Lithospermum occidentale, used on MinnesotaSeasons.com, is from Weakley, et al (see Source below), the source of the most recent taxonomic revision.

----------------------------------------------
Source: Weakley, A.S., R.J. LeBlond, B. Sorrie, C.T. Witsell, L.D. Estes, K. Gandhi, K.G. Mathews, and A. Ebihara. 2011. New combinations, rank changes, and nomenclatural and taxonomic comments in the vascular flora of the southeastern United States. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 5: 437-455.

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

Lithospermum onosmodium

Onosmodium bejariense ssp. occidentale

Onosmodium bejariense var. occidentale

Onosmodium molle ssp. occidentale

Onosmodium molle var. occidentale

Onosmodium occidentale

Onosmodium occidentale var. sylvestre

   

Common Names

western false gromwell

western marbleseed

western onosmodium

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Raceme

An unbranched, elongated inflorescence with stalked flowers. The flowers mature from the bottom up.

 

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Greg Watson

western marbleseed
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Plant

 

Plant

     
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Inflorescence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inflorescence

     
western marbleseed   western marbleseed

Leaves

 

Infructescence

     
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Infructescence

 

Infructescence

 

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Created: 7/30/2005

Last Updated:

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