Greenheart Canopy Walkway

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Oct 13, 2008: Ipomoea longifolia
Oct 13, 2007: Corylus avellana 'Lewis'
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July 24, 2008 : Harrimanella stelleriana

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Plant Family / Families: Ericaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Harrimanella stelleriana (Pall.) Coville
Map Location: via Google Maps
Name Location: Hatcher Pass, Alaska, USA

Harrimanella stelleriana
Harrimanella stelleriana

Like yesterday's starflower, Alaska moss heath or Alaska bellheather is found in northwestern North America and northeastern Asia. In most books, you'll find this species listed as Cassiope stelleriana, but it does seem to more properly belong in the different genus. If you're able to, see Stevens, P. 1970. Calluna, Cassiope and Harrimanella: A Taxonomic and Evolutionary Problem. New Phytologist. 69(4):1131-1148. Properties differentiating the two include leaf arrangement (spirally arranged in Harrimanella vs. decussate (opposite pairs) in Cassiope) and petiole length (short in Harrimanella vs. absent in Cassiope). Eight other differences between the two genera are also noted in the paper.

A low cloud ceiling was ever-present during the Alaskan portion of my trip, so these images were taken in the clouds at @1050m (3450ft) along Hatcher Pass.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at July 24, 2008 1:52 PM

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Comments

Thanks Daniel. So glad to see the photos and read the descriptions again :)

Posted by: Max at July 24, 2008 4:24 PM

Ah, summer in Alaska! Thanks for the glimpse into another world, it is cooking here in the Great Basin today, 100F!

Posted by: Gina at July 24, 2008 5:00 PM

My fiance and I hiked around Hatcher recently while these tiny flowers were in bloom. Wherever they were, I thought it smelled like wheat flour; a little dusty, a little sweet. He thought it smelled more like sewage when the sun broke through and intensified the smell.

It took us hours to realize the smell was coming from the flowers. Did you notice a smell, Daniel? How would you characterize it?

Posted by: rindi at July 24, 2008 6:32 PM

No, I'm afraid I didn't. But it was a cold afternoon when I was up there, so I'm not sure if there was much scent being given off. I just remember the cold humidity of the clouds.

Posted by: Daniel Mosquin Author Profile Page at July 24, 2008 6:42 PM

JUST BREATHTAKING

Posted by: BARBARA at July 24, 2008 7:01 PM

I am so pleased with today's Photographs, they are lovely. It is so nice to see the lay of the land and then to come in on such beautiful flowers.
Thank you,
Margaret-Rae

Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at July 24, 2008 7:43 PM

Great photograph, it gives me the impression of an opportunity to walk forever up that valley. And those humid and chilling clouds certainly add to the impact of the photographs.

Posted by: Knox at July 24, 2008 9:53 PM

Gorgeous photos! I saw Alaska in winter and so missed beautiful floral displays like this. I so enjoy BPOTD. Thank you for doing such a great job with it. :)

Posted by: Natalie Campbell at July 25, 2008 10:04 AM

Daniel, welcome back - I have missed your daily botanical beauties! Thank you again for sharing your recent finds with us.

Have a great weekend,
Linda C Miller
Williamsburg, Virginia

Posted by: Linda C Miller at July 25, 2008 1:32 PM

Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!

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