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panicle hydrangea

Habit Shrubs or trees, 5–70 dm.
Twigs

appressed-pubescent, trichomes white.

Leaves

opposite or 3-whorled;

petiole 0.6–2.4 cm, glabrous or sparsely hirsute;

blade elliptic to ovate, (5–)6.4–15 × 3–6(–10) cm, unlobed, base rounded to truncate or cuneate, margins serrate to serrulate, apex usually acute, sometimes acuminate, abaxial surface green, sparsely hirsute, often densely hirsute along veins, trichomes at 40x smooth, 0.5–1 mm, adaxial surface green, glabrate or sparsely hirsute, sometimes moderately hirsute along veins.

Inflorescences

open or compact, 250–1000-flowered, usually conic, sometimes ovoid, 7–25 × 6–11.5 cm;

peduncle 2–5.5 cm, sparsely to densely hirsute.

Pedicels

1–4 mm, glabrous or sparsely hirsute proximally.

Bisexual flowers

hypanthium adnate to ovary to near its middle, 1–1.8 × 1.2–2.2 mm, weakly 7–10-ribbed in fruit, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy;

sepals shallowly triangular, 0.3–0.7 × 0.5–1.2 mm, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous;

petals tardily deciduous, spreading or reflexed, white or yellowish white, elliptic, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, 3–4 × 1.2–1.5 mm;

filaments 1.8–5 × 0.1–0.3 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.6 mm;

pistil 2–4-carpellate, ovary 1/2 inferior;

styles 2–4, connate to middle or distally, 2–3.5 mm.

Capsules

oblong-ovoid, 3.5–5 × 2–3 mm.

Seeds

caudate at both ends, 1.7–3 mm.

Sterile

flowers present, white or greenish white, sometimes tinged pink or blue, tube 9–16 mm, lobes 4(–5), elliptic to round, (6–)10–21 × (4–)8–15 mm.

2n

= 72, 108 (Japan).

Hydrangea paniculata

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Disturbed woods, roadsides, wooded swamps.
Elevation 30–500 m. (100–1600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; NC; NH; NY; PA; RI; VA; WV; ON; e Asia [Introduced in North America]
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

M. A. Dirr (2004) listed 26 primary cultivars derived from Hydrangea paniculata.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 489.
Parent taxa Hydrangeaceae > Hydrangea
Sibling taxa
H. arborescens, H. cinerea, H. quercifolia, H. radiata
Name authority Siebold: Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 14(suppl.): 691. (1829)
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