Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus
Fl. N. Amer. 1(3): 475. 1840.
Endemic
Basionym: Calycanthus glaucus Willdenow Enum. Pl., 559. 1809
Synonyms: Calycanthus fertilis Walter Calycanthus floridus var. laevigatus (Willdenow) Torrey & A. Gray Calycanthus floridus var. oblongifolius (Nuttall) Boufford & Spongberg Calycanthus nanus
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.
Twigs glabrous or with scattered trichomes. Petiole and abaxial surface of leaf blade glabrous or with scattered trichomes.
Phenology: Flowering late spring, fruiting mid fall.
Habitat: Deciduous or mixed woodlands, along streams and rivers, margins of woodlands
Elevation: 0-1850 m
Distribution
Ala., Fla., Ga., Ky., Miss., N.C., Ohio, Pa., S.C., Tenn., Va., W.Va.
Discussion
The nomenclature for Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus is somewhat confusing. (For an in-depth study, see D. E. Boufford and S. A. Spongberg 1981 and J. W. Hardin 1984.) Variation in the amount of pubescence is common, and determination of variety is not always possible.
The Cherokee are reported to have used this plant as a urinary aid (D. E. Moerman 1986, listed under C. fertilis, a synonym for C. floridus var. glaucus).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
None.