Kalmiopsis leachiana
| Kalmiopsis leachiana | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Kalmiopsis |
| Species: | K. leachiana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Kalmiopsis leachiana (Henderson) Rehd.
| |
Kalmiopsis leachiana, commonly referred to as kalmiopsis, is a rare flowering plant endemic to the Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon, where it is specially protected in the 179,755-acre (727.4 km2) Kalmiopsis Wilderness reserve. It was discovered in 1930 by Lilla Leach in the Gold Basin area.[1]
It is related to Kalmia in the family Ericaceae.
Description
Kalmiopsis leachiana is an evergreen shrub growing to 10–30 centimetres (0.33–0.98 ft) tall, with erect stems bearing spirally arranged simple leaves 2–3 cm long and 1 cm broad.
The flowers are pink-purple, in racemes of 6-9 together, reminiscent of small Rhododendron flowers but flatter, with a star-like calyx of five conjoined petals; each flower is 1.5–2 cm diameter. The fruit is a five-lobed capsule, which splits to release the numerous small seeds.
References
External links
- NRCS: USDA Plants Profile Kalmiopsis leachiana (Kalmiopsis), OR: [1]
- Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest - Kalmiopsis Wilderness
- Guide to the Lilla Leach papers at the University of Oregon
- Kalmiopsis leachiana | survival in a land of extremes
- The Nature Conservancy: Kalmiopsis leachiana'
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