Kalmiopsis leachiana

Kalmiopsis leachiana, commonly referred to as Siskiyou kalmiopsis,[1] 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.[2]

Kalmiopsis leachiana

Vulnerable  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this 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.

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
  1. NatureServe (5 May 2023). "Kalmiopsis leachiana". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest - Kalmiopsis Wilderness
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kalmiopsis leachiana.
Wikispecies has information related to Kalmiopsis leachiana.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.