Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Kalmia cuneata
FAMILY
Ericaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Despite it having rather thick and somewhat shiny, oblanceolate leaves, it is our only deciduous Kalmia species. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
It is not closely related to other species in the genus. It is most easily distinguished from other pocosin shrubs by the combination of the following characters: leaves deciduous, alternate, oblanceolate (cuneate-attenuate at base, obtuse at apex), revolute, dark green above, paler and prominently stipitate-glandular beneath, woody capsule rounded, stipitate-glandular, persistent through the winter, borne on delicate, recurved pedicels usually 2-3 cm long, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Kalmia cuneata
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Kalmia cuneata
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-08-003:
Kalmia cuneata FAMILY Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Kalmia cuneata
COMMON NAME:
White Wicky
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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Will Stuart wil_18276174876
May Chesterfield County SC
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge
Woody capsule persistent through winter, borne on delicate recurved pedicels, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
Will Stuart wil_18298673392
May Chesterfield County SC
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge
)
Will Stuart wil_kcuneata20230520_0118
May Richmond NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
[2 years after a burn] This in the nicest little cluster of relatively tall plants I have seen. — Will Stuart
)
Will Stuart wil_14179801019
June Richmond County NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
)
Will Stuart wil_14182994607
June Richmond County NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
)
Will Stuart wil_14182994607b
June Richmond County NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
Other Kalmia species do not have the solid red band on inside of the petals, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
Will Stuart wil_14365966564
June Richmond County NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
The leaves are deciduous, unlike those of other Kalmia species, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Kalmia cuneata
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Kalmia cuneata
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Kalmia cuneata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-08-003:
Kalmia cuneata
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Kalmia cuneata
780
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: pocosins and pocosin-savanna or pocosin-sandhill ecotones, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
5 sepals
5-lobed corolla
10 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p241
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p315
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p223
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p110
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p184
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p226
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