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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE ROSE FAMILY | |||||||||
| The rose family is one of the most
well known plant families in Saskatchewan. Plants in this family are trees,
shrubs or herbs. The shrubs or trees are commonly armed with prickles or
spines. The leaves can be simple or compound and frequently have a saw-toothed
margin. A pair of stipules is usually present at the base of the stem leaves.
The flowers are in various types of clusters or can be solitary. The flowers
are frequently brightly coloured and showy. The flowers have five sepals
and petals, five to many stamens in whorls and one to many fused or distinct
carpels. The fruits can be drupes (ex. cherry), pomes (ex. apple), or aggregates
of achenes (ex. strawberry), pods, or drupelets (ex. raspberry). Many fruit crops are members of the rose family. Cherry, apple, pear, raspberry and strawberry are examples. Roses are used for medicine and for their essential oils. Many roses are grown as ornamentals in gardens. |
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| SHINYLEAF SPIRAEA | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Spiraea betulifolia var. lucida | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Shinyleaf spiraea is a small shrub that spreads by rhizomes. The branches are smooth and reddish brown. The leaves are green and shiny above and have a saw-toothed margin. The flowers are in branched, flat-topped clusters. The flowers are white or pinkish-tinged and the petals are often notched at the tip. The fruits are aggregates of pods. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Shinyleaf spiraea grows in open lodgepole pine or aspen woods, mostly above shores. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Cypress Upland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Shinyleaf spiraea is vulnerable because it is rare and highly regionally restricted in Saskatchewan. This species is usually locally numerous within limited areas. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SHINYLEAF SPIRAEA | |||||||||
| * Are the leaves shiny and green above? * Are the flowers white and in flat-topped clusters? * Are the fruits aggregates of pods? * Did you find it in southwestern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found shinyleaf spiraea! | |||||||||
