Rhododendron catawbiense
Rhododendron catawbiense | |
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Rhododendron catawbiense growing wild on Mount Mitchell, North Carolina | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Genus: | Rhododendron |
Species: | R. catawbiense
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Binomial name | |
Rhododendron catawbiense | |
Natural range |
Rhododendron catawbiense, with common names Catawba rosebay,[2] Catawba rhododendron,[3] mountain rosebay,[3] purple ivy,[3] purple laurel,[3] purple rhododendron,[3] red laurel,[3] rosebay,[3] rosebay laurel,[3] is a species of Rhododendron native to the eastern United States, growing mainly in the southern Appalachian Mountains from West Virginia south to northern Alabama.
It is a dense, suckering shrub growing to 3 m tall, rarely 5 m. The leaves are evergreen, 6–12 cm long and 2–4 cm broad. The flowers are 3–4.5 cm diameter, violet-purple, often with small spots or streaks. The fruit is a dry capsule 15–20 mm long, containing numerous small seeds.
The species is named after the Catawba River.[4]
Classification
Rhododendron catawbiense belongs to the subgenus Hymenanthes, within which it is further assigned to section Ponticum and subsection Pontica. The latter—one of the 24 subsections of Ponticum—also contains about a dozen other species. The taxonomy has been confused by a tendency to group all large leaved Rhododendrons under the catch-all R. catawbiense.[5]
Cultivation and uses
Rhododendron catawbiense is cultivated as an ornamental plant, popular both in North America and in parts of Europe. It is primarily grown for its spring flower display. Outside of its native range, many cultivars and hybrids have been created,[6] such as 'Purple Elegans', 'Roseus Elegans', and 'Grandiflorum'.
See also
- Catawbiense hybrid
- Central and southern Appalachian montane oak forest
- Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest
References
- ^ IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group.; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; et al. (BGCI) (2020). "Rhododendron catawbiense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T156821604A156821606. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T156821604A156821606.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rhododendron catawbiense". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Wagstaff, D.J. (2008). International Poisonous Plants Checklist: An Evidence-Based Reference. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781420062533.
- ^ André Michaux. Flora Boreali'Americana. 1803. ("Hab. in montibus excelsis Carolinse septentrionalis; juxta originem amnis Catawba")[1]
- ^ University of Connecticut: Rhododendron catawbiense Archived 2012-07-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ R. catawbiense cultivars . accessed 1.31.2013
- "Rhododendron catawbiense". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- Milne, R. I., & Abbott, R. J. (2000). Origin and evolution of invasive naturalized material of Rhododendron ponticum L. in the British Isles. Molecular Ecology 9: 541-556 Abstract.
External links
- Webarchive template wayback links
- Articles with short description
- Short description matches Wikidata
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Articles with 'species' microformats
- Commons category link is on Wikidata
- Taxonbars with 20–24 taxon IDs
- Rhododendron
- Flora of the Appalachian Mountains
- Flora of the Southeastern United States
- Natural history of the Great Smoky Mountains
- Endemic flora of the United States
- Taxa named by André Michaux
- Garden plants of North America
- Plants described in 1803