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downy mock orange, hoary mock-orange, Ozark mock-orange

Habit Shrubs, 10–65 dm.
Stems

erect to ascending, green, older stems gray, glabrous or sparsely strigose or villous, especially at nodes;

bark tight, not exfoliating or flaking, gray;

branches erect;

axillary buds hidden in pouches.

Leaves

petiole 1–12(–20) mm;

blade broadly lanceolate to broadly ovate, or narrowly to broadly elliptic, (3–)5–10(–16) × 1.6–7(–11) cm, base narrowly cuneate to rounded, margins entire or irregularly to regularly serrate, crenate, or dentate, plane, abaxial surface moderately to densely strigose or tomentose to villous, hairs twisted, main vein axils and main veins often more densely strigose-tomentose, adaxial surface glabrous or very sparsely strigose, especially near base and margins.

Inflorescences

usually cymose racemes or cymose panicles, sometimes flowers solitary, (1–)5–9-flowered, proximal 2 or 4 flowers often in axils of nearly normal to much reduced (bracteal) leaves.

Pedicels

3–8 mm, glabrous or moderately strigose.

Flowers

hypanthium sparsely to densely strigose or villous;

sepals ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or triangular, 5–8 × 3–5 mm, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface moderately to densely strigose or villous, adaxial surface densely villous distally;

petals white, oblong, obovate, or orbiculate, 12–21 × 8–12 mm;

stamens 25–50;

filaments distinct, 5–11 mm;

anthers 1.5 × 1 mm;

styles 4, connate proximally, cylindric, 6–10 mm, lobes 1.5–5 × 0.4–0.7 mm;

stigmatic surfaces 1.5–4 mm.

Capsules

obconic to obovoid, 6–11 × 4–7 mm.

Seeds

caudate, 3–4 mm.

2n

= 26.

Philadelphus pubescens

Phenology Flowering May–Jul; fruiting Jun–Oct.
Habitat Cliffs, rock outcrops, bluffs, rocky slopes, old homesites, suburban woodlands, stream banks.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; GA; IA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NY; OH; OK; TN; TX; VA; WY; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Philadelphus pubescens is cultivated beyond its native range, which is believed to have been Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas; it is considered introduced in the remaining places listed.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 483.
Parent taxa Hydrangeaceae > Philadelphus
Sibling taxa
P. coronarius, P. hirsutus, P. inodorus, P. lewisii, P. mearnsii, P. microphyllus, P. serpyllifolius, P. texensis
Synonyms P. gattingeri, P. intectus, P. intectus var. pubigerus, P. latifolius, P. pubescens var. intectus, P. pubescens var. verrucosus, P. verrucosus
Name authority Loiseleur: Herb. Gén. Amat. 4: 268. (1820)
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