Andromeda polifolia

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Andromeda polifolia
Andromeda polifolia bloom.jpg
Andromeda polifolia var. polifolia in flower
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Subfamily: Vaccinioideae
Tribe: Andromedeae
Genus: Andromeda
L.
Species:
A. polifolia
Binomial name
Andromeda polifolia
L.

Andromeda polifolia, common name bog-rosemary, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only member of the genus Andromeda, and is only found in bogs in cold peat-accumulating areas. Andromeda glaucophylla is a synonym of A. polifolia var. latifolia. [3]

Contents

Description

It is a small shrub growing to 10–20 cm (4–8 in) (rarely to 40 cm or 16 in) tall with slender stems. The leaves are evergreen, alternately arranged, lanceolate, 1–5 cm (12–2 in) long and 2–8 mm (0.08–0.31 in) broad, dark green above (purplish in winter) and white beneath with the leaf margins curled under. The flowers are bell-shaped, white to pink, 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long; flowering is in late spring to early summer. The fruit is a small capsule containing numerous seeds.

There are two varieties, treated as distinct species by some botanists:

Etymology

The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus who observed it during his 1732 expedition to Lapland and compared the plant to Andromeda from Greek mythology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, which Linnaeus based on Johann Christian Buxbaum's pre-Linnaean generic designation Polifolia. [5] Buxbaum in turn derived the name from Johann Bauhin, who used it to mean "having polium-like leaves". The precise plant that Bauhin meant by polium is uncertain, but it may have been Teucrium montanum . [6] The common name "bog rosemary" derives from the superficial resemblance of the leaves to those of rosemary, which is not closely related.

Fossil record

Many fossil seeds of †Andromeda carpatica have been extracted from borehole samples of the Middle Miocene fresh water deposits in Nowy Sacz Basin, West Carpathians, Poland. [7]

Cultivation

Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, all of which require damp acid soil in shade. The cultivars 'Compacta' [8] and 'Macrophylla' [9] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Like most other members of the family Ericaceae, they are acid-loving plants (calcifuges), and must be grown in a medium with a low pH.

Chemistry

Bog rosemary contains grayanotoxin, which when ingested may cause respiratory problems, dizziness, vomiting, or diarrhoea. [10]

Fungal Associations

Research in West Siberian bogs has revealed that Andromeda polifolia harbors a diverse fungal community. While many of these fungi are also found on other bog plants, some appear to be specific to A. polifolia. This fungal community plays a role in the decomposition of the plant's leaf litter and contributes to the overall carbon cycling in the bog ecosystem. The composition of this community is influenced by environmental factors, particularly water level. [11]

Images

Related Research Articles

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Kalmia is a genus of about ten species of evergreen shrubs from 0.2–5 m tall, in the family Ericaceae (heath). They are native to North America and Cuba. They grow in acidic soils, with different species in wet acid bog habitats and dry, sandy soils.

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<i>Menyanthes</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Boehmeria</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Kalmia polifolia</i> Species of shrub

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References

  1. Maiz-Tome, L. (2016). "Andromeda polifolia". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 208. IUCN. e.T64263821A67728518. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T64263821A67728518.en .
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. "Andromeda polifolia L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  4. "Andromeda polifolia L. var. latifolia Aiton". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
  5. Turland, N.J.; et al., eds. (2018). "Art. 60.10". International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code) adopted by the Nineteenth International Botanical Congress Shenzhen, China, July 2017 (electronic ed.). Glashütten: International Association for Plant Taxonomy. Retrieved 2019-03-07..
  6. Nelson, E. Charles; Oswald, P.H. (2005). "Polifolia revisited and explained" (PDF). Huntia: A Journal of Botanical History. 12 (1): 5–11.
  7. Macroscopic plant remains from the freshwater Miocene of the Nowy Sącz Basin (West Carpathians, Poland) by Łańcucka-Środoniowa M, Acta Palaeobotanica 1979 20 (1): 3-117.
  8. "RHS Plant Selector - Andromeda polifolia 'Compacta'" . Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  9. "RHS Plant Selector - Andromeda polifolia 'Macrophylla'" . Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  10. Paul Alaback; Joe Antos; Trevor Goward; Ken Lertzman; Andy MacKinnon; Jim Pojar; Rosamund Pojar; Andrew Reed; Nancy Turner; Dale Vitt (2004). Jim Pojar; Andy MacKinnon (eds.). Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Revised ed.). Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing. p. 53. ISBN   978-1-55105-530-5.
  11. Chiapusio, Geneviève; Jassey, Vincent E. J.; Bellvert, Floriant; Comte, Gilles; Weston, Leslie A.; Delarue, Frederic; Buttler, Alexandre; Toussaint, Marie Laure; Binet, Philippe (2018-10-08). "Sphagnum Species Modulate their Phenolic Profiles and Mycorrhizal Colonization of Surrounding Andromeda polifolia along Peatland Microhabitats". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 44 (12): 1146–1157. doi:10.1007/s10886-018-1023-4. ISSN   0098-0331.