Amsonia

thumb|Single paired follicle (i.e. V-shaped pair of follicles) detached from specimen of Amsonia tabernaemontana

Amsonia is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1788. It is native primarily to North America with one species in East Asia and another in the eastern Mediterranean. It was named in honor of the American physician John Amson. Members of the genus are commonly known as bluestars. Species Amsonia ciliata Walter – fringed bluestar – SE US, S Great Plains Amsonia elliptica (Thunb. ex Murray) Roem. & Schult. – Japanese bluestar – China, Japan, Korea Amsonia fugatei S.P.McLaughlin – San Antonio bluestar – New Mexico Amsonia grandiflora Alexander – Arizona bluestar – Arizona, Sonora, Durango Amsonia hubrichtii Woodson – Hubricht's bluestar – Arkansas, Oklahoma Amsonia illustris Woodson – Ozark bluestar – Mississippi Valley, also Nevada Amsonia jonesii Woodson – Jones' bluestar – Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado Amsonia kearneyana Woodson – Kearney's bluestar – Baboquivari in Pima Co. in Arizona Amsonia longiflora Torr. – tubular bluestar – Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Coahuila Amsonia ludoviciana Vail – Louisiana bluestar – Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia Amsonia orientalis Decne. – European bluestar – Greece, Turkey Amsonia palmeri A.Gray – Palmer's bluestar – Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Sonora, Chihuahua Amsonia peeblesii Woodson – Peebles' bluestar – Arizona Amsonia repens Shinners – creeping bluestar – E Texas, SW Louisiana Amsonia rigida Shuttlw. ex Small – stiff bluestar – from Georgia to Louisiana Amsonia tabernaemontana Walter – eastern bluestar – S + C + E United States Amsonia tharpii Woodson – feltleaf bluestar – W Texas, SE New Mexico Amsonia tomentosa Torr. & Frém. – woolly bluestar – SW US; Chihuahua