Kalmiopsis leachiana

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Ericaceae
Subfamilia: Ericoideae
Tribus: Phyllodoceae
Genus: Kalmiopsis
Species: Kalmiopsis leachiana
Name

Kalmiopsis leachiana (L.F.Hend.) Rehder (1932)
Synonyms

Basionym
Rhododendron leachianum L.F.Hend. Rhodora 33: 205. 1931.

Homotypic
Rhodothamnus leachianus (L.F.Hend.) H.F.Copel., Amer. Midl. Naturalist 30: 535. 1943.

Hybrids

Kalmiothamnus × ornithomma Starling

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Northern America
Regional:Norwestern USA
USA (SW-Oregon)

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Rehder, A. 1932. Kalmiopsis, a new genus of Ericaceae from northwest America. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 13: 30–34. Photo t. 40.

Links

Hassler, M. 2020. Kalmiopsis leachiana. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2020 May 07. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Kalmiopsis leachiana in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 May 07. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Kalmiopsis leachiana. Published online. Accessed: May 07 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Kalmiopsis leachiana. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 07 May 2020.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Kalmiopsis leachiana in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.
Kalmiopsis leachiana – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Vernacular names
English: Leach' kalmiopsis
svenska: Oregonkalmia

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

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest - Kalmiopsis Wilderness