Kelseya
| Kelseya | |
|---|---|
_flowering.jpg)
| |
| Kelseya uniflora in flower | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Kelseya (S.Watson) Rydb. |
| Species: | K. uniflora
|
| Binomial name | |
| Kelseya uniflora Rydb.
| |
Kelseya is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Rosaceae. The only species is Kelseya uniflora.[1] It is commonly called the oneflower kelseya, spiraea or alpine laurel.[2][3] The genus was named in honor of Francis Duncan Kelsey, a Montana resident botanist, who discovered the plant in 1888.[4]
Kelseya uniflora is a perennial[2] that grows in cracks of volcanic and limestone outcrops at 1500-3500m elevation.[5][3] It is native in 3 states in Northwestern USA: Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.[2] It typically grows as a solitary plant in a sun-exposed position as a ground covering subshrub. It rarely measures more than 10cm tall but often achieves 1m or more in diameter.[2][5] The leaves are light to greyish green, leathery and hairy, ovate-oblong and grow in dense rosettes. Leaves become brownnish to black when withered and remain on the branch to form a hardened protective structure.[3][5]
The reduction in plant stature and its xeric alpine habitat make it a popular but challenging subject for alpine garden enthusiasts.
References
- ^ "Kelseya (S.Watson) Rydb. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Kelseya uniflora (S. Watson) Rydb". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ a b c "Kelseya uniflora". Flora of North America. Flora of North America Association. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ Lesica, Peter (Winter 2007). "Kelseya uniflora, the MNPS Mascot"" (PDF). Kelseya - Newsletter of the Montana Native Plant Society. 4 (1): 1. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ a b c "Kelseya uniflora". The Alpine Garden Society Plant Encyclopedia. The Alpine Garden Society. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
External links
