FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Phyllodoce coerulea, blue heath

Phyllodoce coerulea; the blue heath is a relative rare species growing only in the mountain regions around Akureyri and apperently also near Húsavik and Bakkagerði. I photographed this plant on the slopes of the mountains of the Eyjafjörður along the road between Dalvík and the mountain tunnel toward Olafsfjörður. It is a small (up to 15 cm tall) but pretty plant. When flowering this plant can easily be recognized. The stems and leaves however, have a strong resemblance to the crowberrry. The leaves are less succulent (thick) than the leaves of the crowberry. It is a member of the heath family (Ericaceae).

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