Rhodiola integrifolia
Encyclopedia
Rhodiola integrifolia is a species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family
known by the common names western roseroot, king's crown, and ledge stonecrop. It is native to Eurasia and western North America, where it grows in mountainous habitat in subalpine
and alpine climate
s, including meadows, cliffs, and talus
. It is a perennial herb producing a stout stem from a fleshy, branching caudex
, reaching a maximum height near 30 centimeters. The fleshy leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, widely lance-shaped to oval and pointed, flat but upcurved toward the tip, reaching 2.5 centimeters long. They are green when new and age to orange, rose, or red. The inflorescence
is a dense cyme of up to 50 flowers with fleshy petals in shades of bright red to deep purple.
There are several subspecies of this plant, with one, ssp. leedyi, very rare and limited to a few populations in Minnesota
and upstate New York
. This subspecies is considered a relict
from times when its range was covered in glacier
s; it survives on barren cliffs which are kept cold by air blowing through cracks from subterranean cave
s. It is treated as a federally listed threatened species in the United States.
Crassulaceae
Crassulaceae, or the orpine family, are a family of dicotyledons. They store water in their succulent leaves. They are found worldwide, but mostly occur in the Northern Hemisphere and southern Africa, typically in dry and/or cold areas where water may be scarce...
known by the common names western roseroot, king's crown, and ledge stonecrop. It is native to Eurasia and western North America, where it grows in mountainous habitat in subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
and alpine climate
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
s, including meadows, cliffs, and talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
. It is a perennial herb producing a stout stem from a fleshy, branching caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
, reaching a maximum height near 30 centimeters. The fleshy leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, widely lance-shaped to oval and pointed, flat but upcurved toward the tip, reaching 2.5 centimeters long. They are green when new and age to orange, rose, or red. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense cyme of up to 50 flowers with fleshy petals in shades of bright red to deep purple.
There are several subspecies of this plant, with one, ssp. leedyi, very rare and limited to a few populations in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. This subspecies is considered a relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
from times when its range was covered in glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s; it survives on barren cliffs which are kept cold by air blowing through cracks from subterranean cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s. It is treated as a federally listed threatened species in the United States.