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mountain spiraea, rose meadowsweet, rosy spiraea, subalpine spiraea, subalpine spirea

Habit Shrubs, 2–10 dm.
Stems

spreading to ascending, branched.

Leaves

petiole 1–4 mm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 1–4 × 1–2(–3) cm, chartaceous, base usually obtuse, sometimes acute, margins crenate to serrate distally from middle, venation pinnate craspedodromous, secondary veins prominent, apex usually obtuse, sometimes acute, abaxial surface glabrous or puberulent, adaxial glabrous.

Inflorescences

mostly terminal, corymbiform or hemispheric panicles, 100–1000+-flowered, 2–4 × 2–4 cm height 0.8–1 times diam.;

branches glabrous or puberulent.

Pedicels

1–3(–5) mm, glabrous or puberulent.

Flowers

2–4 mm diam.;

hypanthia hemispheric, 0.5–1.1 mm, abaxial surface glabrous or pubescent, adaxial pubescent;

sepals triangular, 0.8–1 mm;

petals light to dark pink, ovate to obovate, 1–2.5 mm, veins prominent;

staminodes 5–10, reduced, fused, appearing as scalloped ring;

stamens 35–40, 2 times petal length.

Follicles

oblanceoloid, 2–3 mm, shiny, glabrous, adaxial suture sparsely ciliate.

Spiraea splendens

Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The name Spiraea densiflora Nuttall ex Rydberg subsp. splendens (É. N. Baumann ex K. Koch) Abrams, which pertains here, is incorrect in relation to the priority of S. splendens (1875) over S. densiflora, which is an illegitimate name with no priority.

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

Key
1. Young stems, leaf abaxial surfaces, and pedicels and bracteoles glabrous or glabrate.
var. splendens
1. Young stems, leaf abaxial surfaces, and pedicels and bracteoles puberulent.
var. rosea
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 405.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Spiraeeae > Spiraea
Sibling taxa
S. alba, S. cantoniensis, S. chamaedryfolia, S. corymbosa, S. douglasii, S. japonica, S. lucida, S. prunifolia, S. salicifolia, S. stevenii, S. thunbergii, S. tomentosa, S. virginiana, S. ×hitchcockii, S. ×pyramidata, S. ×vanhouttei
Subordinate taxa
S. splendens var. rosea, S. splendens var. splendens
Name authority E. N. Baumann ex K. Koch: Monatsschr. Vereines Beförd. Gartenbaues Königl. Preuss. Staaten 18: 294. (1875)
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