Clethra alnifolia

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 396. 1753 ,.

Common names: Coastal sweet pepperbush summersweet
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Clethra alnifolia var. glabella Michaux Clethra alnifolia var. michauxii Zabel Clethra alnifolia var. paniculata (Aiton) Rehder Clethra paniculata
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 365. Mentioned on page 366.

Shrubs 1–3 m. Stems ± terete; young shoots puberulent. Leaves: petiole 2.5–3.5(–6) cm; blade obovate to oblong (widest distal to midpoint), 5–9(–12) × 2–4(–6) cm, base cuneate to rounded, margins obscurely to clearly toothed, especially distally (proximalmost tooth averaging 3.4 cm distal to base), apex obtuse to acute, surfaces sparsely hairy and glabrescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Inflorescences solitary or in clusters of 2–4, (6–)9–15(–19) cm, axis sparsely stellate-hairy. Pedicels 2–4 mm, proximalmost averaging 3 mm, shortly stellate-hairy; bract shorter than flower, proximalmost 5–7 mm, shortly stellate-hairy. Flowers: sepals 3.5–5 × 1–1.5 mm, stellate-pubescent; petals white (rarely pink abaxially or on both surfaces), 5–8 × 4–5 mm; filaments 4–6(–6.5) × 0.2–0.3(–0.4) mm, glabrous; anthers 1–1.3 mm; style 6–7 mm, hairy in proximal 1/2, hairs simple, straight. Capsules subglobose, 2.5–4 × 3.5–5.3 mm. Seeds 1–1.5 mm. 2n = 16, 32.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Broad-leaved swamps, Chamaecyparis swamps, wet pine forests, sometimes in dry, sandy woods and rocky, acidic ridge tops
Elevation: 0-200 (-400) m

Distribution

V8 707-distribution-map.gif

N.S., Ala., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Miss., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tex., Va.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Clethra alnifolia"
Gordon C. Tucker +  and Sean C. Jones +
Linnaeus +
Coastal sweet pepperbush +  and summersweet +
N.S. +, Ala. +, Conn. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Miss. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tex. +  and Va. +
0-200 (-400) m +
Broad-leaved swamps, Chamaecyparis swamps, wet pine forests, sometimes in dry, sandy woods and rocky, acidic ridge tops +
Flowering summer. +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Clethra alnifolia var. glabella +, Clethra alnifolia var. michauxii +, Clethra alnifolia var. paniculata +  and Clethra paniculata +
Clethra alnifolia +
species +