Kalmia angustifolia
Kalmia cuneata
lambkill, sheep American-laurel, sheep-laurel
white wicky
usually in whorls of 3, rarely alternate or opposite;
petiole 6–16 mm, usually puberulent;
blade oblong to elliptic-lanceolate, 1.5–8 × 0.5–2.5 cm, margins usually plane, apex obtuse to acute, usually apiculate, abaxial surface glabrous or puberulent, sometimes stipitate-glandular, adaxial lightly puberulent (hairs white, to 0.1 mm), sometimes glabrescent, midrib puberulent.
deciduous, alternate;
petiole 2–4 mm, stipitate-glandular;
blade oblanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 2–6 × 0.5–3 cm, margins plane or slightly revolute, apex obtuse to acute, apiculate, abaxial surface stipitate-glandular, adaxial surface glabrous or sparsely stipitate-glandular, midrib usually puberulent.
axillary near distal end, corymbiform racemes, 4–12-flowered.
axillary in distal end, racemes or fascicles, 3–10-flowered.
5–20 mm.
1–3 mm.
sepals usually green, sometimes reddish apically or throughout, ovate, 2–2.8 mm, apex usually acuminate, surfaces puberulent;
petals connate nearly their entire lengths, usually reddish purple to pink, rarely white or bluish pink, usually deeper colored near anther pockets and with ring of red to purple spots just proximal to pockets, 7.5–9.5 × 6–13 mm, abaxial surface puberulent, adaxial glabrous, puberulent toward base;
filaments 2.5–3.5 mm;
style 3.5–4.5 mm.
sepals usually green, oblong, 3–4 mm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous to sparsely stipitate-glandular;
petals connate their entire lengths, creamy white with red band adaxially, 12–14 × 13–20 mm, abaxial surface sparsely stipitate-glandular, adaxial puberulent near base;
filaments 2.7–3.9 mm;
style 7–11.5 mm.
5-locular, 2–3.5 × 3–5 mm, puberulent, stipitate-glandular.
5-locular, 2.5–3.5 × 4–6 mm, puberulent, stipitate-glandular.
winged, obovoid, 0.6–1 mm.
not winged, oblong, 0.5–0.8 mm.
= 24.
= 24.
Kalmia angustifolia
Kalmia cuneata
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
The two varieties of Kalmia angustifolia are largely separate geographically and show different flavonoid profiles (S. Liu 1993). Southeastern Virginia has long been known as a region of overlap of these two entities; field and herbarium work (B. A. Sorrie and A. S. Weakley, unpubl.) has demonstrated that the two taxa retain their distinctiveness and that hybrids are rare. Sorrie and Weakley concluded that the two should be treated as separate species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Kalmia cuneata is reported as a rare shrub and an endangered species (C. E. Wood Jr. 1961; R. M. Southall and J. W. Hardin 1974; Southall and P. W. Nelson 1978). R. Kral (1983) reported that it does not compete well with other bog shrubs, but “its main enemies up till now have been management schemes which involve mechanical clearing of the shrub layer, this usually accompanied by digging of drainage ditches, discing and ploughing.” It can be locally abundant in peat-based pocosins and other heath-dominated places, where recurring fire retards succession. The occurrence of this species in Hartsville, South Carolina, has been questioned; the collections were from a golf course and could be cultivated plants. NCU specimens say “bay near golf course” or “bay across lake,” implying relatively intact habitats.
Kalmia cuneata is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Calyces densely stipitate-glandular; leaf blade surfaces glabrous or scattered, stipitate-glandular trichomes. | var. angustifolia |
1. Calyces usually not stipitate-glandular; leaf blade surfaces densely puberulent abaxially, usually not stipitate-glandular. | var. carolina |
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