Boschniakia rossica
in B. A. Fedtschenko and A. F. Flerow, Fl. Evropeiskoi Ross., 896. 1910.
Stems 1–3, dark wine red or purple, unbranched, 9–38 cm, with rhizomelike cylindric to globular base 10–25(–40) mm diam. Leaves yellow or wine red; blade triangular, lanceolate, or ovate, 3–10 mm. Spikes dark purple or red, 10–25 mm diam.; bracts yellow or yellow-tipped, sometimes translucent, triangular, lanceolate, or ovate, margins erose or ciliolate, apex acute or acuminate, rarely rounded. Flowers: calyx purple or red-brown, cleft adaxially, 3–6 mm; corolla 8–13 mm, glabrous except margins, tube base ± inflated, abaxial lobes 0–1 mm, margins white-ciliate; stamens included or exserted; ovary ovoid; style base persistent on fruit. Capsules subglobular, 5–6 × 5–6 mm, apex beaked. Seeds 0.5–0.7 × 0.2–0.3 mm, reticulate, foveate.
Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Forests, muskegs, bogs, coastal and interior along streams and lakeshores.
Elevation: 0–1500 m.
Distribution
Alta., B.C., N.W.T., Yukon, Alaska, Asia (n China, Russian Far East).
Discussion
The confirmed host of Boschniakia rossica is Alnus; unconfirmed hosts include Betula and Vaccinium; dubious hosts include Chamaedaphne, Picea, and Salix.
Boschniakia rossica has a rather uniform morphology in North America; however, var. flavida Y. Zhang & J. Y. Ma has been described in a region of China.
Selected References
None.