Biology:Cassiope mertensiana
| Cassiope mertensiana | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Cassiope |
| Species: | C. mertensiana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cassiope mertensiana (Bong.) G. Don
| |
Cassiope mertensiana is a species of flowering plant known by the common names western moss heather and white mountain heather.
This heather is native to subalpine areas of western North America, from Alaska to the mountains of California. It is a small, branching shrub which forms patches along the ground and in rocky crevices.[1]
Description
Cassiope mertensiana has short, erect, snakelike stems that are covered in tiny leathery scalelike leaves only a few millimeters long. From between the layers of scale leaves emerge reddish pedicels each bearing a petite, hanging, down-facing, bell-shaped flower. The bractlets are red and the contrasting flower is white.
Although the shrub tends to grow in areas where there is a lot of accumulation of snow, adequate rain precipitation is needed for the continued growth of Cassiope Mertensiana. The shrub must be exposed to enough sunlight and warmer conditions for proper growth during the growing season.[2]
References
- ↑ Brietzke, Chanda; Starzomski, Brian. "White mountain-heather, western moss heather, Cassiope mertensiana". http://www.centralcoastbiodiversity.org/white-mountain-heather-bull-cassiope-mertensiana.html. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ Rayback, Shelly A.; Lini, Andrea; Berg, David L. (2012). "The dendroclimatological potential of an alpine shrub, cassiope mertensiana, from mount rainier, wa, usa". Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography 94 (3): 413–427. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0459.2012.00463.x. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0459.2012.00463.x/abstract.
Lini, A., & Berg, D. L. (2012, May 25). THE DENDROCLIMATOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF AN ALPINE SHRUB, CASSIOPE MERTENSIANA, FROM MOUNT RAINIER, WA, USA. Retrieved March 3, 2020, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0459.2012.00463.x/abstract
External links
- Jepson Manual Treatment: Cassiope mertensiana
- USDA Plants Profile
- Cassiope mertensiana — U.C. Photo gallery
Wikidata ☰ Q4168143 entry
 |  |
