Kalmia buxifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae known by the common name sandmyrtle, or sand-myrtle. It is native to the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States, where it has a disjunct distribution, occurring in three separate areas. It is known from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas, and the southeastern Blue Ridge Mountains.[1]
| Kalmia buxifolia | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Kalmia |
| Species: | K. buxifolia
|
| Binomial name | |
| Kalmia buxifolia (Bergius) Gift & Kron
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| Synonyms | |
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Leiophyllum buxifolium | |
This species is sometimes called Leiophyllum buxifolium, the only member of the monotypic genus Leiophyllum.[2] Genetic analysis supports its inclusion in genus Kalmia.[3]
This species is quite variable in appearance.[2] It is a shrub growing 10 centimeters to one meter in height. The leaves may be alternately or oppositely arranged on the stems. They are oval to lance-shaped and up to 1.4 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a raceme or umbel of up to 18 flowers with white or light pink petals. The fruit is a capsule a few millimeters long.[4]
This species grows in a variety of habitat types in its fragmented range, including sandy plains in the Carolinas and rocky mountain woods.[1]
The Latin specific epithet buxifolia means "box-leaved", referring to species in the genus Buxus.[5]
The species [6] and the cultivar 'Maryfield' have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [7]
References
edit- ^ a b "Leiophyllum buxifolium". Center for Plant Conservation. 2010-09-28. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06.
- ^ a b Strand, A. E.; R. Wyatt (1991). "Geographical variation and biosystematics of sand myrtle, Leiophyllum buxifolium (Ericaceae)" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 16 (3): 529–545. doi:10.2307/2419341. JSTOR 2419341. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-21.
- ^ Kron, K. A.; J. M. King (1996). "Cladistic relationships of Kalmia, Leiophyllum, and Loiseleuria (Phyllodoceae, Ericaceae) based on rbcL and nrITS data". Systematic Botany. 21 (1): 17–29. doi:10.2307/2419560. JSTOR 2419560.
- ^ "Kalmia buxifolia". Flora of North America.
- ^ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1845337315.
- ^ "Kalmia buxifolia". www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Kalmia buxifolia 'Maryfield'". RHS. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
External links
edit- "Leiophyllum buxifolium (Bergius) Elliott". USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.