Lyonia
Lyonia mariana
maleberry, staggerbush
Maryland staggerbush, Piedmont staggerbush, 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).
deciduous;
blade narrowly to widely elliptic, ovate, or obovate, (2.5–)3–8(–10.5) × 1–4(–5) cm, membranous, base narrowly cuneate to rounded, margins entire, plane to slightly revolute, apex acute to rounded-mucronate or slightly acuminate, surfaces scattered, multicellular, glandular short-headed-hairy, not lepidote, otherwise glabrous or hairy on major veins, intramarginal vein absent.
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 4.5 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 3–9.5 × 1–4 mm, glandular-hairy, not lepidote;
corolla usually white, rarely pink, cylindric (base not swollen), 7–14 × 4.5–9 mm;
filaments 4–7 mm, long-hairy, especially near base, with 2 ± well-developed spurs.
capsular, globose to ovoid or ellipsoid, dry, (with [4–]5[–8] pale, decidedly thickened, whitish sutures).
ovoid, 4–6.5 × 3–6 mm, apex strongly constricted, short-headed-hairy, otherwise glabrous or 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 mariana
Arsenococcus Small; Desmothamnus Small; Neopieris Britton
Species 36 (5 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Leaves of Lyonia mariana (and probably other species as well) contain andromedotoxin and are known to cause livestock poisoning; the species is occasionally used as an ornamental. The western populations tend to be much hairier than those of the Atlantic coastal plain.
(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 |
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
Go Botany
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
MO Plants
