Flora of North America species comparison

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Pyrularia pubera

buffalo nut
Habit Shrubs, rhizomatous, much branched, to 4 m; young growth minutely pilosulous.
Leaf

blades ovate-oblong, obovate, or elliptic, (4.2–)10(–21) × (2–)4(–8) cm, base acute to rounded, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces puberulent when young.
Petioles

(5–)10(–19) mm.
Inflorescences

staminate terminal on axillary branches, erect, 3–8 cm, 15+-flowered; pistillate terminal or axillary, to 9-flowered;

bracts caducous, pilose.
Staminate flowers

green, turbinate, 4 mm diam.;

pistillode stigma above anthers.
Pistillate flowers

green, turbinate, 5–6 mm diam.;

stigma at same height as staminode anthers.
Pseudodrupes

yellowish, pyriform or subglobose, 2–3 × 1–2 cm;

exocarp splitting irregularly when mature, releasing mesocarp/seed.
2n

= 38.

Pyrularia pubera
Phenology Flowering May–Jul; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Rich forests.
Elevation 200–1400 m. (700–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA; KY; NC; NY; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pyrularia pubera can be locally abundant in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian Plateau, often forming dense stands in second-growth forests. The species is apparently a host generalist (D. J. Leopold and R. N. Muller 1983) and has been reported to parasitize planted fir trees (Abies fraseri) in Virginia (L. J. Musselman and S. C. Haynes 1996). The seeds are very high in oil. Cytotoxic and antimicrobial peptides called thionins are present in P. pubera (L. P. Vernon et al. 1985).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 418.
Parent taxa Cervantesiaceae > Pyrularia
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 233. (1803)
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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