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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Kalmia''
| image = Kalmia.jpg
| image_caption = ''Kalmia angustifolia''
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Ericales]]
| familia = [[Ericaceae]]
| genus = '''''Kalmia'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| subdivision = See text.
}}
{{For|the record label|Kalmia Records}}
'''''Kalmia''''' is a [[genus]] of about 7 [[species]] of [[evergreen]] [[shrub]]s from 0.2-5 m tall, in the family [[Ericaceae]]. They are native to [[North America]] (mainly in the eastern half of the continent) and [[Cuba]]. They grow in [[acid]]ic soils, with different species in wet acid bog habitats (''K. angustifolia, K. polifolia'') and dry, sandy soils (''K. ericoides, K. latifolia'').
''Kalmia'' is named after the Finnish botanist [[Pehr Kalm]], who collected it in eastern North America.
The [[leaf|leaves]] are 2-12 cm long, simple lanceolate, and arranged spirally on the stems. The [[flower]]s are white, pink or purple, in corymbs of 10-50, reminiscent of [[Rhododendron]] flowers but flatter, with a star-like calyx of five conjoined [[petal]]s; each flower is 1-3 cm diameter. The [[fruit]] is a five-lobed capsule, which splits to release the numerous small [[seed]]s.
The foliage is toxic if eaten, with [[sheep]] being particularly prone to poisoning, hence the name '''lambkill''' used for some of the species. Other names for Kalmia, particularly ''Kalmia angustifolia,'' are '''sheep-laurel, lamb-kill, calf-kill, kill-kid, and sheep-poison,'''<ref name="NHEST">[http://www.nhest.org/penquis/pentreelist.html Natural History Education, Science, Technology] regarding alternate names, accessed March 30, 2007.</ref> which may be written with or without the hyphen. (See species list below.) "Kid" here refers to a young [[goat]], not a human child, but the foliage and twigs are toxic to humans as well.
It has also been called '''[[spoonwood]]''' because Kalm was told by Dutch settlers of North America that Native Americans made spoons from the wood.<ref name="">[http://books.google.com/books?id=aD12iEgGUlgC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=spoonwood+spoons&source=web&ots=hDhJ3qQ5FH&sig=0cI_-ay9QZumYMYTv14IzS2I7-4 Plants of Colonial Days] by Raymond Leech Taylor, p. 61. (1996) ISBN: 0486294048. Accessed March 30, 2007.</ref> Given its toxicity, this may be folklore rather than scientific fact.
Kalmias are popular [[garden]] shrubs, grown for their decorative flowers. They should not be planted where they are accessible to livestock due to the toxicity.
''Kalmia'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera|lepidopteran]] species including ''[[Coleophora|Coleophora kalmiella]]'' which feeds exclusively on ''Kalmia''.
Species:
* ''[[Kalmia angustifolia]]'' L. - Sheep-laurel, Lambkill
* ''[[Kalmia carolina]]'' Small - Carolina Mountain-laurel
* ''[[Kalmia cuneata]]'' Michx. - Whitewicky
* ''[[Kalmia ericoides]]'' Wright - Cuban Kalmia
* ''[[Kalmia hirsuta]]'' Walt. - Hairy Mountain-laurel
* ''[[Kalmia latifolia]]'' L. - [[Kalmia latifolia|Mountain-laurel]], Lambkill
* ''[[Kalmia polifolia]]'' Wangenh. - Bog Kalmia, Bog-laurel
** ''[[Kalmia polifolia]]'' var. ''microphylla'' (Hook.) Rehder - Alpine Bog-laurel, Alpine Mountain-laurel
The related [[Kalmiopsis]] (''Kalmiopsis leachiana'') is a rare shrub native to the [[Siskiyou Mountains]] of southwest [[Oregon]].
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Ericaceae]]
[[Category:Flora of Eastern United States]]
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Kalmia''
| image = Kalmia.jpg
| image_caption = ''Kalmia angustifolia''
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Ericales]]
| familia = [[Ericaceae]]
| genus = '''''Kalmia'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| subdivision = See text.
}}
{{For|the record label|Kalmia Records}}
'''''Kalmia''''' is a [[genus]] of about 7 [[species]] of [[evergreen]] [[shrub]]s from 0.2-5 m tall, in the family [[Ericaceae]]. They are native to [[North America]] (mainly in the eastern half of the continent) and [[Cuba]]. They grow in [[acid]]ic soils, with different species in wet acid bog habitats (''K. angustifolia, K. polifolia'') and dry, sandy soils (''K. ericoides, K. latifolia'').
''Kalmia'' is named after the Finnish botanist [[Pehr Kalm]], who collected it in eastern North America.
The [[leaf|leaves]] are 2-12 cm long, simple lanceolate, and arranged spirally on the stems. The [[flower]]s are white, pink or purple, in corymbs of 10-50, reminiscent of [[Rhododendron]] flowers but flatter, with a star-like calyx of five conjoined [[petal]]s; each flower is 1-3 cm diameter. The [[fruit]] is a five-lobed capsule, which splits to release the numerous small [[seed]]s.
The foliage is toxic if eaten, with [[sheep]] being particularly prone to poisoning, hence the name '''lambkill''' used for some of the species. Other names for Kalmia, particularly ''Kalmia angustifolia,'' are '''sheep-laurel, lamb-kill, calf-kill, kill-kid, and sheep-poison,'''<ref name="NHEST">[http://www.nhest.org/penquis/pentreelist.html Natural History Education, Science, Technology] regarding alternate names, accessed March 30, 2007.</ref> which may be written with or without the hyphen. (See species list below.) "Kid" here refers to a young [[goat]], not a human child, but the foliage and twigs are toxic to humans as well.
It has also been called '''[[spoonwood]]''' because Kalm was told by Dutch settlers of North America that Native Americans made spoons from the wood.<ref name="">[http://books.google.com/books?id=aD12iEgGUlgC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=spoonwood+spoons&source=web&ots=hDhJ3qQ5FH&sig=0cI_-ay9QZumYMYTv14IzS2I7-4 Plants of Colonial Days] by Raymond Leech Taylor, p. 61. (1996) ISBN: 0486294048. Accessed March 30, 2007.</ref> Given its toxicity, this may be folklore rather than scientific fact.
Kalmias are popular [[garden]] shrubs, grown for their decorative flowers. They should not be planted where they are accessible to livestock due to the toxicity.
''Kalmia'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera|lepidopteran]] species including ''[[Coleophora|Coleophora kalmiella]]'' which feeds exclusively on ''Kalmia''.
Species:
* ''[[Kalmia angustifolia]]'' L. - Sheep-laurel, Lambkill
* ''[[Kalmia carolina]]'' Small - Carolina Mountain-laurel
* ''[[Kalmia cuneata]]'' Michx. - Whitewicky
* ''[[Kalmia ericoides]]'' Wright - Cuban Kalmia
* ''[[Kalmia hirsuta]]'' Walt. - Hairy Mountain-laurel
* ''[[Kalmia latifolia]]'' L. - [[Kalmia latifolia|Mountain-laurel]], Lambkill
* ''[[Kalmia polifolia]]'' Wangenh. - Bog Kalmia, Bog-laurel
** ''[[Kalmia polifolia]]'' var. ''microphylla'' (Hook.) Rehder - Alpine Bog-laurel, Alpine Mountain-laurel
The related [[Kalmiopsis]] (''Kalmiopsis leachiana'') is a rare shrub native to the [[Siskiyou Mountains]] of southwest [[Oregon]].
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Ericaceae]]
[[Category:Flora of Eastern United States]]