Dirca decipiens

Floden

J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 3: 494. 2009.

Common names: Ozark leatherwood
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 382. Mentioned on page 381, 383.
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Shrubs to 3 m; branches turning gray, to gray-brown, sericeous. Leaves: petiole 2–4 mm, sericeous; blade obovate to elliptic-oblong, 7.5–9 × 4.5–6 cm, base rounded, margins ciliate with 11–18 cilia per mm, apex round, abaxial surface sericeous, adaxial surface glabrous except on primary veins near petiole. Inflorescences fasciculate, deflexed, (2–)3(–6)-flowered; bracts obovate-oblong, finely white-tan tomentose, flowers sessile or subsessile. Pedicels 0–1 mm, sericeous. Flowers: calyx yellow-green to pale yellow, irregularly (3–)4-lobed, lobes 1–3 mm, margins erose; ovary with apical trichomes. Drupes yellow-green, ovoid to pyriform, 8–9 mm, with 10–17 apical trichomes.


Phenology: Flowering spring (Mar–Apr); fruiting late spring (May–Jun).
Habitat: Northeast- and northwest-facing bluffs above streams, calcareous bluffs
Elevation: 100–500 m

Discussion

Dirca decipiens occurs typically in more xeric sites than D. palustris and is frequently associated with Quercus and Juniperus. It is currently known from only four populations.

Flowers of Dirca decipiens appear about one week after those of nearby populations of D. palustris. The plants are relatively quick growing in cultivation and seed germination rates appear to be much higher than in other Dirca species. The leaves are parasitized, likely by Leucanthiza dircella Braun (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Dirca decipiens"
Aaron Floden +  and Lorin I. Nevling Jr. +
Floden +
Ozark leatherwood +
Ark. +, Kans. +  and Mo. +
100–500 m +
Northeast- and northwest-facing bluffs above streams, calcareous bluffs +
Flowering spring (Mar–Apr) +  and fruiting late spring (May–Jun). +
J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas +
Dirca decipiens +
species +