Litsea aestivalis

(Linnaeus) Fernald

Rhodora 47: 140. 1945.

Common names: Pond-spice
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Laurus aestivalis Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 370. 1753
Synonyms: Glabraria geniculata (Walter) Britton Litsea geniculata (Walter) G. Nicholson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Shrubs, to 3 m. Branches glabrous or sparsely pubescent, with typical zigzag shape. Leaf blade lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 1.5-4 × 0.4-1.5 cm, mostly glabrous; surfaces abaxially frequently with spreading hairs along base of midrib. Inflorescences in axils of deciduous bracts, flowers in 4-5-flowered pseudoumbels. Flowers: ca. 6 mm diam., from exposed overwintering buds; tepals yellow. Staminate flowers: stamens 9; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 9; style slender; stigma capitate. Drupe red, ca. 10 mm.


Phenology: Flowering late winter–spring.
Habitat: Within basins of limesinks or other depressional ponds or Carolina bays
Elevation: 10-200 m

Distribution

V3 1142-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C., Va.

Discussion

Litsea aestivalis is mostly an outer coastal plain species, although we do have a substantial number of coastal plain records for the extreme southern Appalachians.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Litsea aestivalis"
Henk van der Werff +
(Linnaeus) Fernald +
Laurus aestivalis +
Pond-spice +
Ala. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, N.C. +, S.C. +  and Va. +
10-200 m +
Within basins of limesinks or other depressional ponds or Carolina bays +
Flowering late winter–spring. +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Glabraria geniculata +  and Litsea geniculata +
Litsea aestivalis +
species +