Lyonia
Lyonia lucida
maleberry, staggerbush
fetterbush, fetterbush lyonia, hurrah-bush, staggerbush
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 narrowly to widely elliptic, obovate, or slightly ovate, 1–8.5(–10.5) × 0.5–4.5(–5.5) cm, rigidly coriaceous, base attenuate or cuneate to rounded, margins entire, usually revolute, apex acuminate to acute, rarely rounded, surfaces scattered, multicellular, glandular short-headed-hairy, not lepidote, otherwise glabrous or hairy on midvein adaxially, intramarginal vein present.
axillary fascicles, panicles, or racemes, (2–)5–8(–12)-flowered, sometimes flowers solitary, (produced just before flowering).
fascicles, developing from buds along distal portion of stems of previous year;
bracts 1 per flower, linear-lanceolate, to 4 mm.
bracteoles 2, at or near base.
glandular-hairy, not 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 2–7.5 × 1–2 mm, glandular-hairy, not lepidote;
corolla usually pink, sometimes white or red, cylindric (base swollen), 5–9 × 2–5 mm;
filaments 3–5 mm, roughened, with 2 well-developed spurs.
capsular, globose to ovoid or ellipsoid, dry, (with [4–]5[–8] pale, decidedly thickened, whitish sutures).
ovoid to ovoid-globose, 3–5 × 3–5 mm, apex slightly constricted, glabrous or short-headed-hairy;
sutures usually remaining attached to adjacent valve;
placentae central to nearly basal.
ca. 100–300, ellipsoidal, narrowly oblong, obovoid to angular-obovoid or narrowly conic, (sometimes tailed);
testa cells elongate.
= 12.
= 24.
Lyonia
Lyonia lucida
Arsenococcus Small; Desmothamnus Small; Neopieris Britton
Species 36 (5 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Lyonia lucida is occasionally used as an ornamental; it is most closely related to L. mariana. The Cuban populations tend to have slightly longer and more densely hairy calyx lobes than do those of the southeastern United States.
(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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