North Umpqua Kalmiopsis

Description

Kalmiopsis leachiana, Kalmiopsis, is a rare flowering plant endemic to the Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon, where it is specially protected in the 179,755-acre (727.4 km2) Kalmiopsis Wilderness reserve. It was discovered in 1930 by Lilla Leach in the Gold Basin area.It is related to Kalmia in the family Ericaceae.Kalmiopsis leachiana is an evergreen shrub growing to 10-30 centimetres (0.33-0.98 ft) tall, with erect stems bearing spirally arranged simple leaves 2-3 cm long and 1 cm broad.The flowers are pink-purple, in racemes of 6-9 together, reminiscent of small Rhododendron flowers but flatter, with a star-like calyx of five conjoined petals; each flower is 1.5-2 cm diameter. The fruit is a five-lobed capsule, which splits to release the numerous small seeds.