Lyonia

Nuttall

Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 266. 1818, name conserved ,.

Common names: Maleberry staggerbush
Etymology: For John Lyon, 1765–1814, Scottish-born, early American botanist and explorer of southern Appalachians
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 500. Mentioned on page 372, 376, 497, 507.

Shrubs or trees, (sometimes with woody burl, resprouting after fire). Stems erect to arching; twigs hairy, sometimes glabrescent (sometimes also lepidote). Leaves deciduous or persistent; blade elliptic, obovate, or ovate, membranous to coriaceous, margins entire, undulate, or serrulate [irregularly serrate], plane or revolute, surfaces multicellular, peltate-scaled or short-stalked stipitate-glandular-hairy, often unicellular-hairy on major veins or abaxial surface; venation brochidodromous (or reticulodromous). Inflorescences axillary fascicles, panicles, or racemes, (2–)5–8(–12)-flowered, sometimes flowers solitary, (produced just before flowering). Pedicels: bracteoles 2, at or near base. Flowers: sepals usually [4–]5[–8], slightly connate, ovate-deltate to lanceolate; petals usually [4–]5[–8], connate nearly their entire lengths, white to red, corolla cylindric to urceolate, lobes much shorter than tube, (sparsely stipitate-glandular-hairy or peltate-scaled); stamens usually [8–]10[–16], included; filaments geniculate, flattened, roughened or hairy, with or without spurs; anthers without awns, dehiscent by elliptic pores; pistil usually [4–]5[–8]-carpellate; ovary [4–]5[–8]-locular; (style slightly longer than stamens); stigma capitate-truncate. Fruits capsular, globose to ovoid or ellipsoid, dry, (with [4–]5[–8] pale, decidedly thickened, whitish sutures). Seeds ca. 100–300, ellipsoidal, narrowly oblong, obovoid to angular-obovoid or narrowly conic, (sometimes tailed); testa cells elongate. x = 12.

Distribution

e United States, Mexico, West Indies, e Asia.

Discussion

Arsenococcus Small; Desmothamnus Small; Neopieris Britton

Species 36 (5 in the flora).

Key

1 Abaxial surface of leaf blades, pedicels, and calyx lepidote > 2
1 Abaxial surface of leaf blades, pedicels, and calyx nearly glabrous or hairy, not lepidote > 3
2 Ultimate branchlets spreading, flowers nearly always restricted to previous year’s branches; leaves not conspicuously reduced toward branch tips, blade margins usually revolute distally, sometimes strongly so, major veins usually depressed; shrubs or trees to 6(-12) m. Lyonia ferruginea
2 Ultimate branchlets rigidly ascending, flowers frequent on current year’s branchlets (some flowers also borne on branches of previous year); leaves conspicuously reduced toward branch tips, blade margins at most slightly revolute distally, major veins not depressed; shrubs to 1.5(-3) m. Lyonia fruticosa
3 Leaf blades scattered, multicellular long-headed-hairy abaxially, margins serrulate; corollas urceolate, 2-4(-4.5) mm; calyx lobes 0.5-1.5 mm. Lyonia ligustrina
3 Leaf blades scattered, multicellular short-headed-hairy abaxially, margins entire; corollas cylindric, 5-14 mm; calyx lobes 2-9.5 mm > 4
4 Leaves persistent, blade rigidly coriaceous, intramarginal vein present; corollas usually pink, sometimes red or white, 2-5 mm wide, base swollen; filaments roughened; capsules ovoid to ovoid-globose Lyonia lucida
4 Leaves deciduous, blade membranous, intramarginal vein absent; corollas usually white, rarely pink, 4.5-9 mm wide, base not swollen; filaments long-hairy, especially near base; capsules ovoid. Lyonia mariana
... more about "Lyonia"
Walter S. Judd +
Nuttall +
Maleberry +  and staggerbush +
e United States +, Mexico +, West Indies +  and e Asia. +
For John Lyon, 1765–1814, Scottish-born, early American botanist and explorer of southern Appalachians +
Gen. N. Amer. Pl. +
judd1981a +  and judd1995b +
Ericaceae subfam. Vaccinioideae +