Rhododendron menziesii

Rhododendron menziesii, also classified as Menziesia ferruginea,[1][2] is a species of flowering plant in the heath family known by several common names, including rusty menziesia, ock azalea, false huckleberry, fool's huckleberry and mock azalea.

Rhododendron menziesii
(Menziesia ferruginea)[1][2]
Rhododendron menziesii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Ericales
Family:
Ericaceae
Genus:
Rhododendron
Species:
R. menziesii
Binomial name
Rhododendron menziesii
Craven
Synonyms

Menziesia ferruginea Sm.[1][2]

Distribution

The shrub is native to northwestern North America from Alaska through the Pacific Northwest to northwestern California and Wyoming.[1][2]

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),[2] western redcedar (Thuja plicata), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and other conifers.[3]

The plant prefers cold, wet, densely vegetated habitats where it can grow in deep shade.[3]

Description

Rhododendron menziesii−Menziesia ferruginea is a mostly erect or spreading shrub often exceeding 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height, and reaching lower heights at higher elevations.[3]

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.[3]

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.[1][2]

The fruit is a valved capsule under a centimeter long which contains many seeds.

See also
  • Flora of the West Coast of the United States
  • Flora of the Cascade Range

References
  1. Jepson eFlora (TJM2): Menziesia ferruginea . accessed 16 May 2017.
  2. Calflora: Menziesia ferruginea . accessed 17 May 2017.
  3. Forest Service Fire Ecology: Menziesia ferruginea


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