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cliff mock orange, streambank mock orange

Habit Shrubs, 5–20 dm.
Stems

brown, gray, or stramineous, branched, glabrous to densely strigose;

bark deciduous, exfoliating or flaking, reddish;

branches sprawling;

axillary buds exposed.

Leaves

petiole 1–9 mm;

blade white or gray abaxially, green adaxially, broadly lanceolate to broadly ovate or narrowly to broadly elliptic, 2–8 × 1–5.5 cm, herbaceous, base narrowly cuneate to rounded, margins entire or irregularly to regularly serrate, crenate, or dentate, plane, abaxial surface slightly to densely loosely strigose, hairs often gently curved or arched-twisted, 0.7–1.5 mm, adaxial surface glabrate to moderately strigose, hairs usually evenly distributed, when sparse, sometimes distributed mainly along major veins, 0.2–0.8 mm, either thick-based and tightly antrorsely appressed or less thick-based, longer and looser, similar to abaxial hairs.

Inflorescences

cymes or cymose racemes, or flowers solitary, 1–3(–5)-flowered, proximal 2(–4) flowers often in axils of leaves or bracts.

Pedicels

2–11 mm, moderately to densely strigose.

Flowers

hypanthium glabrous or densely strigose, hairs tightly or loosely appressed;

sepals ovate-lanceolate or triangular, 3–6 × 2–4 mm, apex acuminate, abaxial surface sparsely to densely strigose, adaxial surface glabrous except densely villous distally;

petals white, oblong, obovate, or orbiculate, 5–13 × 4–13 mm;

stamens 14–35;

filaments distinct, 3–9 mm;

anthers 1 × 0.7 mm;

style 1, clavate, 4–6 mm;

stigmatic portion 2–3 mm.

Capsules

obconic to obovoid, (3–)4–7 × 3–6 mm.

Seeds

not caudate, 0.9–1.2 mm.

2n

= 26.

Philadelphus hirsutus

Phenology Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Jun–Aug.
Habitat Bluffs, rock outcrops, seepage areas over rock, stream banks, particularly over calcareous sedimentary or mafic metamorphic or igneous rocks.
Elevation 100–800 m. (300–2600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; GA; KY; MD; MS; NC; SC; TN; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The occurrence of Philadelphus hirsutus in Maryland is believed to be due to an introduction. Philadelphus hirsutus is the most xerophytic of the native southeastern species of Philadelphus, often occurring on rock outcrops with only seasonal moisture. It is sometimes confused with P. pubescens; the undivided style and exposed buds are diagnostic.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 478.
Parent taxa Hydrangeaceae > Philadelphus
Sibling taxa
P. coronarius, P. inodorus, P. lewisii, P. mearnsii, P. microphyllus, P. pubescens, P. serpyllifolius, P. texensis
Synonyms P. hirsutus var. intermedius, P. hirsutus var. nanus, P. sharpianus, P. sharpianus var. parviflorus
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 301. (1818)
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