Loiseuria procumbens : Alpine Azalea

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)

Genera: Loiseuria (Azalea) (Named for French botanist Jean Lois Augustine Loiseleur-Deslongchamps 1774-1849)

Species: procumbens (Lat. procumbo= to fall forward; refering to is prostrate nature.)

Synonym(s): Azalea procumbens

English Name(s):

Alpine Azalea, Trailing Azalea

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Prostrate or depressed, much-branched, tufted or mat-forming shrub.
• Stems 5-30 cm long.

Leaves:

• Simple (not compound or lobed).
• Elliptic in shape.
• Petioles (leaf stalks) partly clasping the stem.
• Evergreen, opposite, 3-8 mm long by 1-3 mm wide.
• Margins entire (smooth), revolute (rolled under).

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers perfect (bisexual) and regular (symetrical).
• Flowers in corymbs of 2-6 flowers.
• Petals 4-5 mm long, pink or occationally white, united toward base and broadly bell-shaped.
• Sepals 1.5-2.5 mm long, separate or nearly so, red and hairless.
• Stamens (male parts) 5.

Seed:

• Fruit a dry capsule. ovoid in shape, 3-5 mm long by 2-3 mm wide.

Not to Be Confused With:

Physiology:

• Flowers can cross pollinate themselves if cross pollination fails. the Stamens (male parts) elongate and bend toward the pistil (female part), one at a time, until they touch it and deposit the pollen.
• Produces advantitious roots from lower stem, that alow it to absorb meltwater late in winter when the soil is still frozen.
• The flowers only open in fair weather but self-fertilization can take place in a closed flower.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Adventitious roots allow it to start growing before ground is thawed.
• Leaves evergreen.
• Past blooming by mid-July.

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Dry stony heathlands and alpine tundra.
• Mainly on acidic soil.

Modern:

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Traditional Gwich'in:

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Traditional Other:

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