Ericaceae: Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench
(Leatherleaf)
Chamaedaphne calyculata is a low-growing, circumpolar shrub found in bogs, fens, wet peaty barrens and in wet areas on margins of lakes and ponds. Stems are alternate and much branched. Leaves are mainly evergreen, leathery and scaly, especially below, and generally oblong in shape, pointing upward along the stem. White bell-shaped flowers form a one-sided raceme. Each flower is composed of 5 petals, 5 sepals and 10 stamens. Many shiny, brown, flat seeds are located in locules (cavities of an ovary). Blooming time is early May to mid-June. Leatherleaf is widespread in the north and east and as far south as Geogria. The population is secure from Saskatchewan to Prince Edward Island, apparently secure in Alberta and vulnerable in British Columbia.
Sources | Selected Web Resources | Line Drawing
Click on images for larger versions.
| Jan. 22, 2009. Lunenburg County: Grimm Road bogs. Photographer: Ocotillo. | |
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| May 8, 1999. Lunenburg County. Indian Path Common. Photographer: Ocotillo. | |
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| Aug. 12, 2007. Halifax County: near East Dover. . Photographer: JackPine. | |
 
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Selected Web Resources
- Taxonomic Status (ITIS) Copy the species name above and paste it into a form on this ITIS Canada page to confirm the nomenclature and list synonyms.
- NatureServe Explorer Copy the species name above and paste it into a form on this page to view a map of its distribution within North America and its conservation status by province and state.
- Fire Effects Information Service: Chamaedaphne calyculata
Page posted 26 Jan. 2009. Modified 19 Feb. 2009.
Copyright © Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society & Photographers.