Lyonia
Lyonia fruticosa
maleberry, staggerbush
coastal plain staggerbush, poor-grub
erect to arching;
twigs hairy, sometimes glabrescent (sometimes also lepidote).
deciduous or persistent;
blade elliptic, obovate, or ovate, membranous to coriaceous, margins entire, undulate, or serrulate [irregularly serrate], plane or revolute, surfaces multicellular, peltate-scaled or short-stalked stipitate-glandular-hairy, often unicellular-hairy on major veins or abaxial surface;
venation brochidodromous (or reticulodromous).
persistent;
blade obovate to elliptic, 0.5–6 × 0.3–4 cm (usually conspicuously smaller toward branch tips), coriaceous, base attenuate to narrowly or widely cuneate, margins entire or undulate, plane to very slightly revolute distally, apex acute, abruptly acuminate, or rounded, abaxial surface ferrugineous-lepidote, otherwise usually densely hairy, scales all ± quickly deciduous, veins frequently raised-reticulate, adaxial surface lepidote (scales caducous), hairy along midvein, veins not depressed.
axillary fascicles, panicles, or racemes, (2–)5–8(–12)-flowered, sometimes flowers solitary, (produced just before flowering).
fascicles, flowers frequent on current year’s branchlets (some flowers borne on branches of previous year);
bracts 1 per flower, linear-lanceolate, 1–2 mm.
bracteoles 2, at or near base.
glabrous, lepidote.
sepals usually [4–]5[–8], slightly connate, ovate-deltate to lanceolate;
petals usually [4–]5[–8], connate nearly their entire lengths, white to red, corolla cylindric to urceolate, lobes much shorter than tube, (sparsely stipitate-glandular-hairy or peltate-scaled);
stamens usually [8–]10[–16], included;
filaments geniculate, flattened, roughened or hairy, with or without spurs;
anthers without awns, dehiscent by elliptic pores;
pistil usually [4–]5[–8]-carpellate;
ovary [4–]5[–8]-locular; (style slightly longer than stamens);
stigma capitate-truncate.
calyx lobes 1–1.5 × 0.5–1 mm, glabrous or hairy, lepidote;
corolla white, urceolate, 2.5–5 × 2.5–4 mm;
filaments 1–2.5 mm, roughened, without appendages or with 2 minute spurs.
capsular, globose to ovoid or ellipsoid, dry, (with [4–]5[–8] pale, decidedly thickened, whitish sutures).
ovoid to ellipsoid, 3–5 × 2.5–4.5 mm, apex not constricted, lepidote, otherwise hairy;
sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves;
placentae subapical.
ca. 100–300, ellipsoidal, narrowly oblong, obovoid to angular-obovoid or narrowly conic, (sometimes tailed);
testa cells elongate.
= 12.
= 24.
Lyonia
Lyonia fruticosa
Arsenococcus Small; Desmothamnus Small; Neopieris Britton
Species 36 (5 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Although most plants of Lyonia fruticosa are densely hairy on the abaxial leaf surface, occasional individuals with relatively few unicellular hairs (or rarely none at all) can be found.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Abaxial surface of leaf blades, pedicels, and calyx lepidote | → 2 |
1. Abaxial surface of leaf blades, pedicels, and calyx nearly glabrous or hairy, not lepidote | → 3 |
2. Ultimate branchlets spreading, flowers nearly always restricted to previous year’s branches; leaves not conspicuously reduced toward branch tips, blade margins usually revolute distally, sometimes strongly so, major veins usually depressed; shrubs or trees to 6(-12) m. | L. ferruginea |
2. Ultimate branchlets rigidly ascending, flowers frequent on current year’s branchlets (some flowers also borne on branches of previous year); leaves conspicuously reduced toward branch tips, blade margins at most slightly revolute distally, major veins not depressed; shrubs to 1.5(-3) m. | L. fruticosa |
3. Leaf blades scattered, multicellular long-headed-hairy abaxially, margins serrulate; corollas urceolate, 2-4(-4.5) mm; calyx lobes 0.5-1.5 mm. | L. ligustrina |
3. Leaf blades scattered, multicellular short-headed-hairy abaxially, margins entire; corollas cylindric, 5-14 mm; calyx lobes 2-9.5 mm | → 4 |
4. Leaves persistent, blade rigidly coriaceous, intramarginal vein present; corollas usually pink, sometimes red or white, 2-5 mm wide, base swollen; filaments roughened; capsules ovoid to ovoid-globose | L. lucida |
4. Leaves deciduous, blade membranous, intramarginal vein absent; corollas usually white, rarely pink, 4.5-9 mm wide, base not swollen; filaments long-hairy, especially near base; capsules ovoid. | L. mariana |
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