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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE HEATH FAMILY | ||
| Plants in the heath family can be herbs, shrubs, or trees. In Saskatchewan, most members of the heath family are small shrubs. These plants are commonly found on acidic soils, such as those found in bogs. The leaves are alternate or opposite. The flowers can be solitary or in various arrangements. The flowers have five sepals and five petals. There may be five or 10 stamens. The anthers in this family are special because they open by pores or have appendages. The fruits can be capsules, berries, or single-seeded and fleshy. | ||
| BOG ROSEMARY | ||
| LATIN NAME: Andromeda polifolia var. glaucophylla | ||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | ||
| Bog rosemary is a small shrub that grows up to 30 cm tall from a creeping rootstock. The leathery leaves are arranged alternately on the stem. The leaves have a fine coat of white hairs on the underside of the leaf. The edges of the leaves are rolled under. The flowers are in dense clusters at the ends of the branches. The sepals are small and green. The petals are united into an urn-shaped corolla and are pinkish in colour. The fruit is a capsule. | ||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | ||
| Bog rosemary grows in open to treed bogs and shrubby fens. | ||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | ||
| This species is found in east-central Saskatchewan in the following ecoregions: Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, and Churchill River Upland. | ||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | ||
| Bog rosemary is vulnerable in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon and occurs in only one general region of the province. These plants are usually locally numerous in limited areas. No threats are known or anticipated at the present time. | ||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY BOG ROSEMARY | ||
| * Is the plant a small shrub? * Are the leaves rolled under? * Do the leaves have a fine coat of white hairs on the underside? * Did you find it in east-central Saskatchewan? |
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| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found bog rosemary! | ||
