Flora of North America species comparison

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Pieris phillyreifolia

Pieris floribunda

climbing fetterbush, vine-wicky

fetterbush, mountain andromeda, mountain fetterbush, mountain pieris
Habit Shrubs or vines, to 1 m, climbing to 10 m within fibrous bark of Taxodium or Chamaecyparis by means of flattened rhizomes that, at intervals, give rise to emergent branches; twigs multicellular stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise sparsely to moderately unicellular-hairy. Shrubs, to 2 m, with ± erect branches; twigs multicellular stipitate-glandular-hairy and conspicuously strigose (hairs elongate, stiff, long-celled, eglandular), otherwise sparsely to densely unicellular-hairy.
Stems

± terete.

terete to slightly angled.
Leaf

blades ovate, elliptic, or slightly obovate, (1–)2–6(–7) × (0.3–)0.3–2(–2.7) cm, base narrowly cuneate to rounded, margins obscurely to clearly toothed, especially near apex, revolute, apex acute to rounded.

blades elliptic to ovate, (1.5–)3–7.2 × (0.6–)1–2.8 cm, base rounded to widely cuneate, margins serrulate (each tooth associated with elongate hair), plane, apex acute.
Inflorescences

axillary racemes, from near stem apex;

bracteoles near apex to middle of pedicel.

terminal panicles, sometimes with proximalmost lateral branches arising from axils of distalmost leaves;

bracteoles near or slightly proximal to middle of pedicel.
Flowers

calyx lobes 3.5–5 × 1–1.5 mm;

corolla cylindric-urceolate, weakly 5-ridged, 6–8(–8.5) × 4–5 mm;

filaments geniculate, 4–6 mm, glabrous;

style strongly sunken into ovary apex.

calyx lobes 2–4 × 1–1.7 mm;

corolla urceolate, strongly 5-ridged, 4–7 × 3–5.5 mm;

filaments straight, 2–3 mm, hairy;

style slightly sunken into ovary apex.
Capsules

subglobose, 2.5–4 × 3.5–5.3 mm, glabrous;

placentae central to nearly basal.

subglobose or globose to ovoid, 4–6 × 4–6 mm, glabrous;

placentae subapical.
Seeds

angular-ovoid to obovoid or narrowly conic, not winged;

testa cells isodiametric.

ellipsoidal to ± rectangular and flattened, with 2 inconspicuous wings;

testa cells elongate.
2n

= 24.

Pieris phillyreifolia

Pieris floribunda
Phenology Flowering winter–spring. Flowering early spring–spring.
Habitat Taxodium, Chamaecyparis, or broad-leaved swamps, wet depressions in pine forests Montane thickets and balds, oak, pine, and/or hemlock forests
Elevation 0-100 m (0-300 ft) 500-1800 m (1600-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; MS; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; NC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pieris phillyreifolia is the only viny member of the Ericaceae in the United States; like P. cubensis Small of Cuba and P. swinhoei Hemsley of China, it has more or less isodiametric testa cells; it has been placed in sect. Phillyreoides Bentham & Hooker f.

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

Individuals of Pieris floribunda are beautiful, cold-hardy shrubs and are frequently cultivated as ornamentals. The species is sometimes confused with the eastern Asian P. japonica D. Don ex G. Don and P. formosa D. Don. Pieris japonica is commonly cultivated and may be distinguished from P. floribunda by its lack of stiff, multicellular, elongate hairs on stems and leaf margins, and pseudoverticillate leaves with margins nearly entire to clearly toothed.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 498. FNA vol. 8, p. 498.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Vaccinioideae > Pieris Ericaceae > subfam. Vaccinioideae > Pieris
Sibling taxa
P. floribunda
P. phillyreifolia
Synonyms Andromeda phillyreifolia, Ampelothamnus phillyreifolius Andromeda floribunda, Portuna floribunda
Name authority (Hooker) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 7: 599. 1839 , (Pursh) Bentham & Hooker f.: Gen. Pl. 2: 588. 1876 ,
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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