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running strawberry-bush

burning-bush, oriental spindle-tree, wing burning bush, wing euonymus, wing spindle-tree

Habit Shrubs 0.1–0.5 m. Stems creeping rooting at nodes; young branches 4-angled, not corky winged. Shrubs 1–4(–7) m. Stems erect; young branches 4-angled, becoming corky winged.
Leaves

deciduous;

petiole 3–5 mm;

blade obovate, 2–8 × 1.5–4.5 cm, base attenuate, margins crenate-serrate, apex acute or acuminate.

deciduous;

petiole 0.5–4 mm;

blade narrowly elliptic, 2.5–6 × 0.5–2.5 cm, base attenuate or cuneate, margins denticulate, apex acuminate.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary, 1–5-flowered.

axillary, (1–)3(–7)-flowered.

Flowers

sepals 5;

petals 5, pale green, often suffused with purple, round, 2–3 mm diam.;

stamens 5;

ovary spiny.

sepals 4;

petals 4, yellowish green or white, oblong, 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm;

stamens 4;

ovary smooth.

Capsules

pink, subglobose, 10–12 mm diam., unlobed or very shallowly 4–5-lobed, lobes clearly connate, surface spiny.

purple-brown, obovoid, 8–10 × 5–15 mm, deeply 2–4-lobed to base or only 1 lobe developing, lobes nearly distinct, surface smooth.

Seeds

subglobose, 4.5–5.5 mm;

aril bright orange.

ellipsoid, 7–8 × 4–5 mm;

aril yellow or orange.

2n

= 64.

Euonymus obovatus

Euonymus alatus

Phenology Flowering spring; fruiting summer–fall. Flowering spring–fall; fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Rich, dry, or moist woods. Roadsides, old fields, thickets, woodlands.
Elevation 100–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.) 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; GA; IL; IN; KY; MI; MO; NC; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; UT; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; e Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euonymus obovatus can be difficult to separate from E. americanus, but the rooting stems of E. obovatus clearly differentiate them.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The leaves of Euonymus alatus become bright red or reddish purple in fall, one of the reasons for its widespread use as an ornamental.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 124. FNA vol. 12, p. 125.
Parent taxa Celastraceae > Euonymus Celastraceae > Euonymus
Sibling taxa
E. alatus, E. americanus, E. atropurpureus, E. europaeus, E. fortunei, E. occidentalis
E. americanus, E. atropurpureus, E. europaeus, E. fortunei, E. obovatus, E. occidentalis
Synonyms E. americanus var. obovatus Celastrus alatus, E. alatus var. apterus
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 155. (1818) (Thunberg) Siebold: Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunst. 12: 49. (1830) — (as Evonimus)
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