Leucothoë davisiae

Torrey ex A. Gray

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 400. 1868 ,.

Common names: Mountain or black or sierra laurel
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 510. Mentioned on page 509.

Plants 0.3–1.5 m, branches erect, 0.3–1.5 m. Leaves: petiole 3–6 mm; blade oblong to elliptic, 1–6 cm, margins sparsely toothed, apex shortly acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences fascicled, sessile, dense, 20–60-flowered, 5–15 cm; bracts deciduous, ovate, 1.7–2 mm. Pedicels 2–3 mm. Flowers: sepals whitish, lanceolate-ovate, 2.5–3.3 mm, apex acute or subacute; corolla urceolate, 6–8 mm; filaments glabrous; anthers 1.2–1.4 mm, with 2 awns (sometimes awns absent); ovary glabrous. Capsules 4.5–6 mm wide. Seeds ellipsoid or oblong; testa firm, reticulate.


Phenology: Flowering mid spring.
Habitat: Mountain woods, bogs, wet areas
Elevation: 1300-2600 m

Discussion

Leucothoë davisiae, named for Nancy Jane Davis (1833–1921), Pennsylvania educator and amateur botanist who collected the type in 1863 in northern California, is native in the high Sierra Nevada and Warner Mountains of California and the Klamath ranges of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. This species is poisonous; it contains diterpenoid compounds (grayanotoxins or andromedotoxins). All livestock are known to be susceptible, especially sheep and goats. Leaves are most frequently eaten; as little as 25 grams of leaves may be lethal to a sheep. It is also toxic to humans (S. A. Weathers 1998). Signs of poisoning include slowed or irregular heart rate, blurred vision, paralysis, excessive salivation or foaming at the mouth, depression, vomiting, and colic.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"entire" is not a number.

... more about "Leucothoë davisiae"
epigynous +  and hypogynous +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br />) +
subacute +, acute +, shortly acute +  and obtuse +
Gordon C. Tucker +
Torrey ex A. Gray +
dehiscent +
proximal +
furrowed +  and smooth +
not flaky +
oblong;elliptic +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
deciduous +
0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br />) +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Mountain or black or sierra laurel +
rotate to crateriform campanulate cylindric globose or urceolate +
urceolate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Calif. +  and Oreg. +
1300-2600 m +
undifferentiated +
fusiform +
flattened +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
subglobose +
Mountain woods, bogs, wet areas +
20-60-flowered +  and sessile +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
pseudoverticillate +  and alternate +
persistent +
spinulose-serrulate +  and entire +
parietal +, axile +  and placentation +
tenuinucellate +  and unitegmic +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
epigynous +  and hypogynous +
reduced +
not sticky +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Flowering mid spring. +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
8-60-flowered +
tan;yellowish-brown or brown +
distinct +
oblong +  and ellipsoid +
lanceolate-ovate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.33 cm3.3 mm <br />0.0033 m <br />) +
procumbent +  and creeping +
spreading +  and erect +
glabrescent +, short-hairy +  and glabrous +
capitate +  and peltate +
straight +
reticulodromous +
Leucothoë davisiae +
Leucothoë +
species +
papillose +  and reticulate +
achlorophyllous +  and chlorophyllous +
evergreen +, deciduous +  and perennial +
heterotrophic +, autotrophic +  and mycotrophic +
multicellular-hairy +