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Labrador tea, marsh Labrador tea, northern Labrador tea, trappers tea

Mt. Labrador tea, smooth Labrador tea, trapper's-tea, western Labrador tea

Habit Shrubs, to 0.5 m, rhizomatous. Shrubs or trees, to 2 m, rhizomatous.
Stems

creeping or prostrate;

bark ± smooth;

twigs unicellular-hairy and with flattened, glandular scales, scales often obscured by dense, ferruginous, long-crisped, multicellular hairs.

bark smooth, sometimes peeling or shredding with age;

twigs unicellular-hairy, papillate, with flattened, glandular scales (lepidote).

Leaves

persistent, (fragrant when crushed);

petiole with unicellular and/or peltate scales and, sometimes, ferruginous, long-crisped hairs;

blade ± linear, 2–5 × 1–4 cm (often much longer than wide), coriaceous, margins entire, revolute, glabrous, apex acute, abaxial surface with sparse to dense, glandular-peltate scales without broad rim, scales often obscured by dense (to sparse), ferruginous, long-crisped, multicellular hairs sometimes forming dense, ± uniform mat, adaxial surface rugose with scattered, lepidote scales and sometimes also with white, unicellular hairs along impressed midrib, midrib usually lanate.

persistent, (fragrant when crushed);

petiole with glandular-peltate scales without broad rim and few, ferruginous, long-crisped hairs;

blade (white or pale green abaxially), ovate to lanceolate, (1–)2–8 × 1.5–3 cm, coriaceous, margins entire, plane, glabrous, apex usually acute, abaxial surface sparsely to densely papillate, with few, ferruginous, long-crisped hairs and glandular-peltate scales without broad rim, adaxial surface with scattered lepidote scales and/or papillae, sometimes also unicellular-hairy along midrib.

Inflorescences

slightly rounded, 10–35-flowered;

bracts lepidote abaxially, margins ciliate, long-crisped-hairy, sometimes also unicellular-hairy.

slightly rounded, 10–35-flowered;

bracts lepidote abaxially, margins ciliate, unicellular-hairy.

Pedicels

5–26 mm, sparsely eglandular-hairy (hairs ferruginous, elongated), with ferruginous, long-crisped, unicellular and/or peltate scales, sometimes also long-stalked, multicellular glandular-hairy.

4–25 mm, with dense to sparse, ferruginous, long-crisped, unicellular and/or peltate scales, sometimes also long-stalked, multicellular glandular-hairy.

Flowers

radially symmetric, opening after leaves (of flowering shoots), ± erect, not fragrant;

calyx lobes ca. 1 mm, outer surface densely to sparsely unicellular-hairy (hairs tan), and multicellular, stipitate-glandular-hairy (hairs red) on margins;

corolla white to cream, without blotch, ± rotate, 2–8 mm, inner surface often densely unicellular-hairy, petals appearing distinct or only slightly connate basally, lobes 5–7 mm;

stamens 10, exserted, ± equal, 4.4–8.5 mm.

radially symmetric, opening after leaves (of flowering shoots), ± erect, fragrance not noticeable at mid day;

calyx lobes (often reflexed in fruit), ± 1–1.5 mm, outer surface densely to sparsely unicellular-hairy (hairs tan) and multicellular stipitate-glandular-hairy (hairs red) on margins;

corolla white to cream, without blotch, ± rotate, 2–8 mm, inner surface hairy proximally, outer surface glabrous, petals appearing distinct or only slightly connate basally, lobes (4–)5–7 mm;

stamens (8–)10(–12), exserted, ± equal, 4.5–8.4 mm.

Capsules

borne on apex of sharply recurved pedicels, 2.5–5 × 1–3 mm (only slightly longer than wide), with sparse to dense, lepidote scales, acropetally dehiscent.

borne on recurved pedicels, 2.5–5 × 2–6 mm (only slightly longer than wide), glabrous, acropetally dehiscent.

Seeds

somewhat elongated beyond narrow ends;

testa closely appressed.

somewhat elongated beyond narrow ends;

testa closely appressed.

Floral

bud scales with lepidote scales and unicellular-hairy abaxially, margins unicellular-hairy.

bud scales with peltate scales without broad rim and unicellular-hairy abaxially, margins unicellular-hairy.

2n

= 26, 52.

= 26.

Rhododendron tomentosum

Rhododendron columbianum

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering spring-mid summer.
Habitat Bogs, muskeg, tundra, raised beach ridges Bogs, swamps, stream margins, sometimes on well-drained sites
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 0-3500 m (0-11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AB; BC; MB; NF; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 459. FNA vol. 8, p. 459.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Rhododendron Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Rhododendron
Sibling taxa
R. alabamense, R. albiflorum, R. arborescens, R. atlanticum, R. austrinum, R. calendulaceum, R. canadense, R. canescens, R. catawbiense, R. columbianum, R. cumberlandense, R. eastmanii, R. flammeum, R. groenlandicum, R. lapponicum, R. macrophyllum, R. maximum, R. minus, R. occidentale, R. periclymenoides, R. prinophyllum, R. prunifolium, R. vaseyi, R. viscosum
R. alabamense, R. albiflorum, R. arborescens, R. atlanticum, R. austrinum, R. calendulaceum, R. canadense, R. canescens, R. catawbiense, R. cumberlandense, R. eastmanii, R. flammeum, R. groenlandicum, R. lapponicum, R. macrophyllum, R. maximum, R. minus, R. occidentale, R. periclymenoides, R. prinophyllum, R. prunifolium, R. tomentosum, R. vaseyi, R. viscosum
Synonyms Ledum palustre, Ledum decumbens, Ledum palustre subsp. decumbens, R. subarcticum, R. tolmachevii, R. tomentosum subsp. decumbens, R. tomentosum var. subarcticum Ledum columbianum, Ledum glandulosum, R. neoglandulosum
Name authority Harmaja: Ann. Bot. Fenn. 27: 204. (1990) (Piper) Harmaja: Ann. Bot. Fenn. 27: 203. (1990)
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