June 9, 1959: 58 years ago today

Collected on June 9, 1959, this specimen was in the woods along a road to Pocahontas, near Salisbury in Somerset County, PA by Leroy Henry.  Henry was the Curator of Botany at the museum.
 
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is the state flower of Pennsylvania!  It is a broadleaved evergreen shrub native across the eastern US, especially in forests of mountainous areas.  This specimen was collected not too far from the highest point in Pennsylvania and the Maryland border.  Often mistaken for Rhododendron, both the Rhododenrons and mountain laurel are found in similar habitats and belong to the heath family (Ericaceae).
 
Despite its beauty, mountain laurel has a dark side: all parts contain toxins that are poisonous to humans, pets, horses, and cattle.  Ingesting this plant can cause vomiting, diarrhea, impaired vision, convulsion, cardiovascular distress and death.  Honey made by bees from mountain laurel can also cause medical problems to humans.  Benjamin Smith Barton (American botanist in late 1700s) wrote that “in the autumn and winter of the year 1790, many people died in Pennsylvania from the effects of wild honey, collected from Kalmia plants.”