Jamesia

? Jamesia
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Cornales Family: Hydrangeaceae Genus: Jamesia Species: J. americana
Binomial name
Jamesia americana Torr. & A.Gray

Jamesia is a genus of shrubs in the Hydrangeaceae, most commonly known as Jamesia, Cliffbush or Waxflower. It is native to interior western North America, in the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, growing in mountains at 1600-3000 m altitude.

There is just one species, J. americana, though some botanists treat it as two separate species, the second being J. tetrapetala (Fourpetal Cliffbush; with the narrow sense J. americana then known as Fivepetal Cliffbush).

It is a shrub growing to 1-2 m tall and to 3 m or more broad, with opposite simple leaves 3-7 cm long and 2-5 cm broad, with a serrated margin and a crinkled surface. The flowers are produced in erect terminal panicles, each flower white, 15-20 mm diameter, with five (rarely four) petals. The fruit is a dry capsule with numerous small seeds.