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Klamath Mountain heather, pink mountain-heath, pink mountain-heather

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

Habit Plants prostrate to erect, diffusely branched, 0.5–5 dm; young branches sparsely glandular. Plants prostrate to ascending or erect, diffusely branched, often matlike, 5–25 cm.
Leaves

ascending, densely imbricate;

blade linear, 4–15 × 1–1.5(–2) mm, margins entire or glandular-serrulate, surfaces usually glabrous.

spreading, imbricate;

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

Inflorescences

corymbiform, 1–14-flowered.

umbellate, 1–6-flowered.

Pedicels

5–25 mm, glandular;

bracteoles 2.

10–30 mm, glandular;

bracteoles 2.

Flowers

usually erect;

sepals broadly ovate, 2–3 mm, margins ciliate, abaxial surface glabrous;

corolla pink, campanulate, not constricted at mouth, 5–8 mm, not glandular, lobes spreading, 1.5–2.5 mm;

stamens 10, included;

filaments 1.5–3 mm, glabrous;

anthers 1.5–2.5 mm;

ovary broadly ovoid, 1.5–2 mm, glandular;

style exserted, 5–7 mm.

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, 3–4 mm, glandular.

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

2n

= 24.

Phyllodoce empetriformis

Phyllodoce caerulea

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Moist subalpine and alpine slopes Rocky tundra, early-melting alpine snowbeds
Elevation 1400-3500 m [4600-11500 ft] 0-700(-1800) m [0-2300(-5900) ft]
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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

Hybrids between Phyllodoce empetriformis and P. glanduliflora are encountered occasionally where the two species occur together. The hybrids, P. ×intermedia (Hooker) Rydberg, consisting largely of first-generation crosses (F1 progeny), have a decidedly intermediate floral morphology, combining glandular, mostly nonciliate sepals more than 3 mm long and pinkish, cylindric to ovoid corollas.

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

Phyllodoce caerulea hybridizes with P. aleutica.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 478. Treatment authors: John G. Packer, A. Joyce Gould. FNA vol. 8, p. 477. Treatment authors: John G. Packer, A. Joyce Gould.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Phyllodoce Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Phyllodoce
Sibling taxa
P. aleutica, P. breweri, P. caerulea, P. glanduliflora
P. aleutica, P. breweri, P. empetriformis, P. glanduliflora
Synonyms Menziesia empetriformis Andromeda caerulea
Name authority (Smith) D. Don: Edinburgh New Philos. J. 17: 160. 1834 , (Linnaeus) Babington: Man Brit. Bot., 194. 1843 ,
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