OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Galax urceolata   FAMILY Diapensiaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Galax urceolata   FAMILY Diapensiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Galax urceolata

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 146-03-001:

Galax aphylla   FAMILY Diapensiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Galax aphylla

 

COMMON NAME:
Galax, Beetleweed


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

Steve Marlow    snm079701_10a

January    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

Leaves sharp-toothed, glossy, and often aging to wine-red or bronze, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

JK Marlow    jkm0404l_04

April    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

Galax is often called Coltsfoot because of the shape of its leaves, per Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers (Campbell, Hutson, Sharp, & Hutson, 1962).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE leaves of Galax and Oconee Bells

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

JK Marlow    jkm210423_9673

April    Jackson County    NC

"Galax-pulling" (gathering leaves for the florist trade) is an important folk industry, per Weakley's Flora (2022).

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

JK Marlow    jkm210423_9674b

April    Jackson County    NC

Concern for its sustainability has prompted the USDA Forest Service to restrict the harvest season.

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

Harry Davis    hld584_crw_6999

May    Buncombe County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

A dense, narrow, spikelike raceme of 0.25" flowers, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

JK Marlow    jkm0305d_07a

May    Greenville County    SC

Jones Gap State Park

Leaves nearly circular with palmate veins [vs. the pinnate veins of Shortia], per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

JK Marlow    jkm0305x_36

May    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

Alan S. Weakley    asw_10231836649395227

June        

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

Keith Bradley    kab_galax_urceolata_2685

June        NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmgurceolata_cg1

June        

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmgurceolata_flwrtrsp

June    Pickens County    SC

Table Rock State Park

image of Galax urceolata, Galax, Beetleweed

Ron Lance    rwl584_a

June        

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Galax urceolata   FAMILY Diapensiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Galax urceolata   FAMILY Diapensiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Galax urceolata

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 146-03-001:
Galax aphylla   FAMILY Diapensiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Galax aphylla

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

584

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: Mountain forests, rock outcrops, nearly ubiquitous in the Mountains, more restricted in habitat elsewhere, moist to dry slopes in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, often associated with Kalmia latifolia or Rhododendron maximum, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (uncommon in Carolina Coastal Plain) (rare in GA Coastal Plain)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Basal

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
Radially symmetrical
5 sepals united at base
5 petals
5 united stamens & 5 staminodia

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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