Sweetflower rockjasmine – Androsace chamaejasme

Alaska Wildflowers | White

Sweetflower Rockjasmine

Androsace chamaejasme ssp. lehmanniana

Common Names

Lehmann’s rockjasmine
Rock jasmine
Sweetflower rockjasmine
Sweetflower rock jasmine
Sweet-flowered fairy candelabra
Sweet rock jasmine

*The officially listed common name by ITIS and the USDA is Lehmann’s rockjasmine. Before researching the flower, I had never heard it called this. Even eFloras.org lists the common name as sweetflower rockjasmine (the parent species and other subspecies common name). Many sources do not even mention the name Lehmann’s rockjasmine. Because of this, I am using the more common sweetflower rockjasmine here.

Synonyms

none

Subspecies of Androsace chamaejasme

Androsace chamaejasme ssp. andersonii
Androsace chamaejasme ssp. carinata (not found in Alaska)
Androsace chamaejasme ssp. lehmanniana (North American species)

Genus: Androsace
Family: Primulaceae
Order: Ericales
full classification

Duration – Growth Habitat

Perennial – Forb/herb

Uses

For information only (typically historical) – I take no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plant.

I found no documentation for the use of Androsace chamaejasme ssp. lehmanniana. A rocky mountain subspecies of Androsace chamaejasme (Androsace chamaejasme ssp. carinata) has been used for various remedies such as relief from pain or inflammation, gastrointestinal disorders, to help with obesity, or help with irritated skin (USDA).

Identification and Information

Lehmann’s rockjasmine, more commonly known as sweetflower rockjasmine, is a small, white or pink flowering plant with fused petals and a white ring around the center. It is a slender perennial that forms loose mats, growing from a taproot. The leaves lack petioles and grow in small, whorled rosettes that narrow up the stem. The leaves are distinctly ciliate with fine white hairs at the leaf margins. The stems (scapes) lack leaves but is sparsely hairy and stands 2-10 cm tall (1-4 inches). The inflorescence consists of 3-5 flowers attached via pedicel with 5 white or pink petals (petals turn pink with age). The petals are fused at the base with a yellow or pink ring. The flower looks similar to a forget-me-not. The calyx is bell or funnel-shaped, and the corolla tube is shorter than the calyx and contains 5 stamens.

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Distribution and Habitat

Sweetflower rockjasmine (Androsace chamaejasme ssp. lehmanniana) exists only in North America, predominantly Alaska, western Canada, and a few Rocky Mountain states. The parent species Androsace chamaejasme has a much wider circumboreal distribution including Eurasia, including Italy, France, Spain, and Germany.

Sweetflower rockjasmine lives in rocky environments in full sun. It is frequently found in tundra, near rocky streams or river terraces, and in alpine tundra or cliffsides.

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Classification

References and Further Reading

Classification and Taxonomy

Androsace chamaejasme ssp. lehmanniana (Spreng.) Hultén Taxonomic Serial No.: 184552, ITIS Database

Androsace chamaejasme Wulfen ssp. lehmanniana (Spreng.) Hultén Lehmann’s rockjasmine, USDA Database

Uses

Sweetflower Rock Jasmine (Androsace chamaejasme ssp. carinata), USDA and U.S. Forest Service

Map and Distribution

Androsace chamaejasme subsp. lehmanniana (Spreng.) Hultén, GBIF

Description and Information

Sweet-flower Rock-jasmine – Androsace chamaejasme, Montana Field Guides

Androsace chamaejasme Wulfen subsp. andersonii (Hultén) Hultén, Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

1a. Androsace chamaejasme Wulfen ex Host subsp. lehmanniana (Sprengel) Hultén, Fl. Alaska Yukon. 8: 1280. 1948., Flora of North America