Leucothoë

D. Don

Edinburgh New Philos. J. 17: 159. 1834,.

Common names: Hobblebush sweetbells dog-laurel fetterbush dog-hobble
Etymology: Greek name for a princess of Babylon
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 508. Mentioned on page 371, 372, 376, 510.

Shrubs. Stems erect or spreading, glabrous or sparsely short-hairy, glabrescent; branches without silvery scales. Leaves persistent; blade oblong, lanceolate, oblanceolate, or elliptic, coriaceous, margins entire or spinulose-serrulate, plane, surfaces not glaucous, without silvery scales, glabrous or hairy abaxially; venation reticulodromous. Inflorescences axillary, fascicled or solitary racemes, (not leafy), 8–60-flowered, (produced on previous year’s wood); (bracteoles 2, medial or proximal, partly covering pedicel). Flowers: sepals 5, slightly connate, lanceolate-ovate to broadly ovate; petals 5, connate nearly their entire lengths, white, corolla cylindric to urceolate, lobes much shorter than tube; stamens 8(–10), included; filaments straight, flattened, glabrous or hairy, without spurs; anthers with or without 2 awns proximal to anther-filament junction, dehiscent through terminal pores; pistil 5-carpellate; ovary pseudo 10-locular; (style scarcely longer than stamens); stigma 5-lobed, capitate to peltate. Fruits capsular, subglobose, dry. Seeds ca. 60–120, ellipsoid, oblong, or angular, flattened or wedge-shaped; testa smooth and shiny, reticulate, or papillose. x = 11.

Distribution

e, w United States, e Asia.

Discussion

Species 5 (3 in the flora).

Key

1 Filaments glabrous; racemes fascicled; w United States. Leucothoe davisiae
1 Filaments spreading-hairy and/or papillate; racemes fascicled or solitary; se United States > 2
2 Sepals broadly ovate, apex obtuse or rounded; racemes 2-4(-5) cm. Leucothoe axillaris
2 Sepals lance-ovate, apex acute or subacute; racemes 4-10 cm. Leucothoe fontanesiana
... more about "Leucothoë"
Gordon C. Tucker +
D. Don +
Hobblebush +, sweetbells +, dog-laurel +, fetterbush +  and dog-hobble +
e +, w United States +  and e Asia. +
Greek name for a princess of Babylon +
Edinburgh New Philos. J. +
ingram1961a +, ingram1979a +, melvin1981a +  and sleumer1959a +
Leucothoë +
Ericaceae subfam. Vaccinioideae +