Rhodiola rosea : Roseroot

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

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

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrop Family)

Genera: Rhodiola (Roseroot) (Gk. rhodon=rose;referring to the root which smell like a certain species of rose.)

Species: rosea (like a rose)

Synonym(s): Sedum rosea, R.integrifolia

English Name(s):

Roseroot, Western Roseroot, King's Crown

First Nation Names:

Description:

Fleashy succulent herbaceous plants.

Flowers usually perfect (bisexual), regular (symetrical) and showy.

Petals and sepals 4-5 of each, Stamens (male parts) as many or double the number of petals, Ovaries superiour consisting of 4 or 5 fully separate carpels (female parts).

Natural History:

Genus Rhodiola has imperfect (unisexual) flowers on dioecious (unisexual) plants.

Family Size:

World:

Genera: 35

Species: 1400

North America:

Genera: 18

Species: 109

Yukon:

Genera: 2

Species: 2

Central Yukon:(CYSIP study area)

Genera: 1

Species: 1

Structure:

• From a thick much branched scaly rhizome (rootstalk).
• Stems numerous, 5-35 cm high, leafy.
• Succulent herbaceous plant.

Leaves:

• 1-4cm long by 2-11 mm wide, pale, glaucous (blueish waxy).
• Alternate on the stem.
• Margins entire (smooth) or somewhat dentate (toothed).
• Thick and fleshy, somewhat spoon-shaped, oblong-lanceolate in shape.

Reproductive Parts:

• Female flowers usually purple, pistils (female parts) 4 .
• Flowers imperfect (unisexual) and plants dioecious (unisexual).
• Flowers in dense terminal (on stem top) cymes.
• Male flowers yellows, stamens (male parts) 4 or 8.
• Petals and Sepals 4.

Seed:

• Follicles plump, erect, reddish.
• Fruit a dry dehiscent (opening) follicle.

Not to Be Confused With:

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• Blooming in mid-July.
• Stems and leaves deciduous (dieing back).

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Moist rocky alpine ledges and gravelly beaches.
• Nitrogen loving plants, found around bird cliffs and human habitations.

Modern:

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Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

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Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: