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heavenly-bamboo, nanten, sacred bamboo

Stems

erect.

Leaves

frequently reddish tinged, 5-10 dm;

petioles basally enlarged and clasping.

Leaflets

9-81, nearly sessile, leaflet blades 4-11 1.5-3 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate.

Inflorescences

with hundreds of flowers, 1-2 dm.

Flowers

fragrant, pedicellate;

perianth segments imbricate, weakly 2-4-seriate.

Berries

6-9 mm.

Seeds

mostly 2.

Wood

and pith bright yellow.

2n

= 20.

Nandina domestica

Phenology Flowering spring–summer (May-early Jul); fruiting summer–fall (Sep–Dec).
Habitat Old home sites, woodlands, mesic flood plains, hammocks
Elevation 0-600 m (0-2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; NC; SC; TX; native; Asia (Japan, China, India) [Introduced in North America]
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Nandina domestica is commonly cultivated as an ornamental. China and Japan have been considered the possible sources of cultivated material. In the flora, seedlings are frequent in the vicinity of plantings, and mature plants have been found far from areas of current cultivation in the southeastern United States.

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

Source FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Berberidaceae > Nandina
Name authority Thunberg: Nov. Gen. Pl. 1: 14. (1781)
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