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Kalmia microphylla

Flowering Plants

Kalmia microphylla is a flowering shrub in the heath family Ericaceae, its species name meaning small-leaved in Ancient Greek and its genus honoring the Swedish-Finn botanist Pehr Kalm, a student of Carl Linnaeus. It is a compact shrub typically no more than about 24 inches tall, rarely reaching 6 feet, with evergreen, leathery, lance-shaped leaves whose edges roll under, fuzzy young branches that mature to smooth reddish-brown or gray, and small pink or purple bell-shaped flowers with five fused petals in a cup formation, followed by small, hard, five-part seed capsules. Native to North America, it ranges from Alaska to California and through northern Canada, growing in alpine meadows and boggy, wet, low-alkalinity soils intolerant of calcium-rich ground. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Diet
Photosynthetic Autotroph 1
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 2
Relationship to People
Used in Traditional Medicine 1
Relationship to People
Venomous or Dangerous to Humans 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 3
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G5 Secure 2
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Scientific Name
Kalmia microphylla 3
Conservation Status
Least Concern 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Ericaceae, Taxa
Source Kalmia microphylla (Wikidata)

In Biome

Bog, Biomes
Source Kalmia microphylla (Wikidata)

In Ecosystem

Heath, Ecosystems
Source Kalmia microphylla (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Kalmia microphylla (Wikipedia)
  • lead sentence (diet), EntityId 407747
    Kalmia microphylla, known as alpine laurel, bog laurel, swamp-laurel, western bog-laurel or western laurel, is a species of Kalmia of the family Ericaceae.
  • Article text: "The kalmias are very poisonous plants, containin"
    The kalmias are very poisonous plants, containing grayanotoxin.
  • Article text: "Kalmia microphylla has also been used for medici"
    Kalmia microphylla has also been used for medicinal purposes in creating external washes for skin diseases.
  • Infobox: status
    LC
  • In Ecosystem: Heath, Habitat
    The habitat in which it optimally grows in open heath or shrublands with moist soil.
View the Source
2. NatureServe Explorer: Kalmia microphylla
NatureServe Explorer
  • Global rank (roundedGRank)
    "roundedGRank": "G5"
  • Habitat comments
    Spruce-fir and lodgepole pine communities, typically in meadows and along streams and lake margins at 2900-3750 m.
View the Source
3. Kalmia microphylla (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Wikidata Q23933 (P225 taxon name)
  • Statements section, conservation status (P141)
    IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
  • Child Taxon Of: Ericaceae, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
  • In Biome: Bog, Introduction
View the Source
4. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Ericales
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12414
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12414
"active":true,"cites_listing":"NC"
View the Source
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Kalmia
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12709
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12709
"active":true,"cites_listing":"NC"
View the Source
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