| Rhododendron menziesii (Menziesia ferruginea) | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Rhododendron |
| Species: | R. menziesii |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhododendron menziesii Craven | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Menziesia ferruginea Sm. | |
Rhododendron menziesii, also classified as Menziesia ferruginea, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, known by several common names, including rusty menziesia, false huckleberry, fool's huckleberry and mock azalea.
Description
Rhododendron menziesii is a mostly erect or spreading shrub often exceeding 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height, and reaching lower heights at higher elevations.
Its branches are coated in thin, scaly, shreddy bark and its twigs with fine glandular hairs.
The alternately arranged deciduous leaves are oval in shape with pointed tips, reaching 4 to 6 centimeters long. The leaves are hairy, glandular, and sticky in texture, and have an unpleasant skunklike odor when crushed.
The inflorescence is a loose cluster of hanging bell- or cup-shaped flowers in shades of pink to orange to yellow-green. The flower has 4 to 5 petals which are mostly fused into a cylinder, and eight stamens inside. The bloom period is June and July.
The fruit is a valved capsule under a centimeter long which contains many seeds.
Distribution and habitat
The shrub is native to northwestern North America from Alaska through the Pacific Northwest to northwestern California and Wyoming.
It is a member of the flora in mountain forests. It grows in the understory of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Pacific silver fir (A. amabilis), Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), western redcedar (Thuja plicata), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and other conifers.
The plant prefers cold, wet, densely vegetated habitats where it can grow in deep shade.
See also
References
- ^ Jepson eFlora (TJM2): Menziesia ferruginea . accessed 16 May 2017.
- ^ Calflora: Menziesia ferruginea . accessed 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Menziesia ferruginea". www.fs.fed.us.
External links
- Calflora Database: Menziesia ferruginea (Mock azalea, Rusty menziesia) — active name (5−2017).
- Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Menziesia ferruginea — active name (2017).
- USDA Plants Profile for Menziesia ferruginea (rusty menziesia) — active name (5−2017).
- Photo gallery for Menziesia ferruginea — active name (2017).
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Rhododendron menziesii | |
 | This Ericaceae article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- Rhododendron
- Flora of Alaska
- Flora of California
- Flora of Western Canada
- Flora of the Northwestern United States
- Flora of the West Coast of the United States
- Flora of the Cascade Range
- Flora of the Klamath Mountains
- Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
- Taxa named by James Edward Smith
- Ericaceae stubs