Andromeda polifolia

Andromeda polifolia
Andromeda polifolia var. polifolia in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Subfamily: Vaccinioideae
Genus: Andromeda
L.
Species: A. polifolia
Binomial name
Andromeda polifolia
L.

Andromeda polifolia, common name bog-rosemary,[1] is a species of flowering plant native to northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only member of the genus Andromeda, and is only found in bogs in cold peat-accumulating areas.

Description

It is a small shrub growing to 10–20 centimetres (4–8 in) (rarely to 40 cm or 16 in) tall with slender stems. The leaves are evergreen, alternately arranged, lanceolate, 1–5 centimetres (0.4–2.0 in) long and 2–8 millimetres (0.08–0.31 in) broad, dark green above (purplish in winter) and white beneath with the leaf margins curled under. The flowers are bell-shaped, white to pink, 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long; flowering is in late spring to early summer. The fruit is a small capsule containing numerous seeds.

There are two varieties, treated as distinct species by some botanists:

Etymology

The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus who observed it during his 1732 expedition to Lapland and compared the plant to Andromeda from Greek mythology. The specific epithet polifolia means "grey-leaved".[2] The common name "bog rosemary" derives from the superficial resemblance of the leaves to those of rosemary, which is not closely related.

Cultivation

Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, all of which require damp acid soil in shade. The cultivars 'Compacta'[3] and 'Macrophylla'[4] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Chemistry

Bog rosemary contains grayanotoxin, which when ingested lowers blood pressure, and may cause respiratory problems, dizziness, vomiting, or diarrhoea.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "BSBI List 2007" (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
  3. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Andromeda polifolia 'Compacta'". Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Andromeda polifolia 'Macrophylla'". Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  5. ↑ Paul Alaback, Joe Antos, Trevor Goward, Ken Lertzman, Andy MacKinnon, Jim Pojar, Rosamund Pojar, Andrew Reed, Nancy Turner, Dale Vitt (2004). Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon, eds. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Revised ed.). Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-55105-530-5.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bog-rosemary.

Images

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