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Blue Mountain heath, phyllodoce bleue, purple mountain heather, purple mountain-heath

Habit Plants prostrate to ascending or erect, diffusely branched, often matlike, 5–25 cm.
Leaves

spreading, imbricate;

blade linear to spatulate, 4–10 × 1–1.3 mm, margins finely glandular-serrulate, abaxial surface glabrous or glandular.

Inflorescences

umbellate, 1–6-flowered.

Pedicels

10–30 mm, glandular;

bracteoles 2.

Flowers

nodding;

sepals linear to lanceolate, 3–4 mm, margins not ciliate, glandular abaxially;

corolla purple, urceolate, constricted at mouth, 4–9 mm, glandular, lobes recurved, ca. 1 mm;

stamens 8–10, included;

filaments 3–3.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers 1.2–1.5 mm;

ovary globose, 2–2.5 mm, glandular;

style included, 4–5 mm.

Capsules

5-valved, globose, 2.5–3.5 mm, glandular.

2n

= 24.

Phyllodoce caerulea

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Rocky tundra, early-melting alpine snowbeds
Elevation 0-700(-1800) m (0-2300(-5900) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ME; NH; MB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; Greenland; n Europe; e Asia (Japan, Russian Far East)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Phyllodoce caerulea hybridizes with P. aleutica.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 477.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Phyllodoce
Sibling taxa
P. aleutica, P. breweri, P. empetriformis, P. glanduliflora
Synonyms Andromeda caerulea
Name authority (Linnaeus) Babington: Man Brit. Bot., 194. 1843 ,
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