Spiraea alba

For other plants called meadowsweet, see meadowsweet (disambiguation).
Spiraea alba
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Spiraea
Species: S. alba
Binomial name
Spiraea alba
Du Roi
Synonyms[1]
  • Eleiosina obovata Raf. ex Ser.
  • Spiraea ciliata Raf.
  • Spiraea cuneifolia Borkh.
  • Spiraea flexuosa Raf.
  • Spiraea lanceolata Borkh.
  • Spiraea lancifolia Hoffmanns. ex K.Koch
  • Spiraea latifolia (Sol.) Borkh.
  • Spiraea paniculata (Willd.) G.Don
  • Spiraea undulata Borkh.

Spiraea alba, commonly known as meadowsweet,[2]narrowleaf meadowsweet, pale bridewort,[2] or pipestem, grows on wet soils of the Allegheny Mountains and other portions of eastern North America. [3]

Narrowleaf meadowsweet shrubs often reach 8 feet in height. This species is often the most conspicuous part of the vegetation in its habitat, taking up large areas of ground. Its leaves are oblong or lance-shaped, and toothed on the edges, and its twigs are tough and yellowish brown. The white flowers grow in spikelike clusters at the ends of the branches, blooming from early summer through September.

The hollow, upright stems were used historically as pipe stems.

References

  1. ↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "USDA GRIN Taxonomy". Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  3. ↑ Venable, Norma Jean (1992), Common Summer Wildflowers of West Virginia, WVU Extension Service.

See also