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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| 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. | |||||||||
| ALPINE AZALEA | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Loiseleuria procumbens | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Alpine azalea is an evergreen shrub with slender taproots. The stems are flat on the ground and form mats. The leathery leaves are arranged oppositely on the stem. They are slightly woolly below on the midvein and the rolled under margins. The flowers are in an umbrella-like cluster. The flowers are bell-shaped and white to pink in colour. The fruit is a capsule that releases many seeds. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Alpine azalea grows in rocky tundra-meadows and in open, wooded eskers. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in northeastern Saskatchewan in the Selwyn Lake Upland and Tazin Lake Upland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Alpine azalea is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is rare and highly regionally restricted in the province. No immediate threats are known for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY ALPINE AZALEA | |||||||||
| * Is the plant a small shrub? * Are the leaves rolled under? * Are the flowers white to pink? * Did you find it in northeastern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found alpine azalea! | |||||||||
