Fireweed
| Rosebay willowherb or fireweed | |
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.JPG) |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Onagraceae |
| Genus: | Chamerion |
| Species: | C. angustifolium |
| Binomial name | |
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Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub |
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| Synonyms | |
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Chamerion angustifolium, commonly known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, and in Britain as rosebay willowherb, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae.
It is native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including large parts of the boreal forests.
This species has been placed in the genus Chamerion (sometimes, incorrectly, given as Chamaenerion) rather than Epilobium based on several morphological distinctions: spiral (rather than opposite or whorled) leaf arrangement; absence (rather than presence) of a hypanthium; subequal stamens (rather than stamens in two unequal whorls); zygomorphic (rather than actinomorphic) stamens and stigma. Under this taxonomic arrangement, Chamerion and Epilobium are monophyletic sister genera.
Two subspecies are recognized as valid:
The species name angustifolium ('narrowleaved') is constructed from the Latin words angustus meaning 'narrow' and folium meaning 'leaved' or 'leaf'. It shares this name with other species of plant including Vaccinium angustifolium. The common British name, from the passing resemblance of the flowers to roses and the leaves to those of bay, goes back in print to Gerard's Herball of 1597.
The reddish stems of this herbaceous perennial are usually simple, erect, smooth, 0.5–2.5 m (1½–8 feet) high with scattered alternate leaves. The leaves are entire, lanceolate, and pinnately veined. A related species, dwarf fireweed (Chamerion latifolium), grows to 0.3–0.6 m tall.
The inflorescence is a symmetrical terminal raceme that blooms prograssively from bottom to top, producing a gracefully tapered shape. The flowers are 2 to 3 cm in diameter, with four magenta to pink petals and four narrower pink sepals behind. The protruding style has four stigmas. The floral formula is ✶/↓ K4 C4 A4+4 or 4+0 Ğ(4).
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Wikipedia