Spiraea virginiana

Britton

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 17: 314. 1890.

Common names: Virginia or West Virginia spiraea
Conservation concernEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 404. Mentioned on page 400, 410.

Shrubs, 30–40 dm. Stems erect to arching or prostrate, densely branched. Leaves: petiole 2–5 mm; blade ovate to oblanceolate, 3–5 × 1–1.5 cm (length 3 times width), membranous, base acute, margins entire or dentate teeth 1–4 in distal 1/4 of blade, mucronate, number of primary and secondary serrations 1 times number of secondary-veins (excluding inter-secondary veins), venation pinnate cladodromous, secondary-veins not prominent, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, mostly glabrous, adaxial glabrous. Inflorescences mostly terminal, corymbiform or hemispheric panicles, 2–8 × 5–22 cm height 0.5–1 times diam.; branches frequently in axils of leaves, usually glabrous or pubescent, sometimes villous. Pedicels 1–3 mm, usually glabrous or pubescent, sometimes villous. Flowers 5–7 mm diam.; hypanthia turbinate to campanulate, 1.2–1.8 mm, surfaces glabrous or pubescent; sepals triangular, 1–1.2 mm; petals yellowish white, greenish white, or translucent white, ovate to orbiculate, 1.8–2 mm; staminodes 0; stamens 25–45, 2 times petal length. Follicles oblanceoloid, 1.5–2 mm, shiny, glabrous.


Phenology: Flowering May–Jul; fruiting Jun–Sep.
Habitat: Riparian zones of rocky stream reaches with high flows capable of scour and deposition of sediments
Elevation: 200–1000 m

Distribution

V9 676-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Ga., Ky., N.C., Ohio, Pa., Tenn., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Spiraea virginiana is endemic to the southern Blue Ridge and Appalachian Plateau physiographic provinces. In stream and river reaches, where there is little variation in flow volume and velocity, available habitat for S. virginiana would decline over time without scour and redeposition of sediments. The species reproduces primarily through asexual propagation: the stems break during high flows, are transported and deposited in sediments, and take root, establishing plants (D. W. Ogle 1991b; C. M. Anders and Z. E. Murrell 2001). Ogle (1991, 1991b) conducted a comprehensive analysis of the species and found viable seed to be rare on individuals found within local populations, confined to a single stream corridor. When plants from different populations were brought together in cultivation, abundant viable seed was produced (Ogle 1991b).

All populations of Spiraea virginiana examined by J. R. Brzyski and T. M. Culley (2011) had higher levels of genetic differentiation among populations, and lower values of genotypic richness within populations, than would be expected for a clonal organism.

Spiraea virginiana is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Spiraea virginiana"
glabrous +  and glaucous +
acute;acuminate +
Richard Lis +
Britton +
reddish +  and dark-brown gray or gray-black +
not +  and exfoliating +
compound +  and simple +
opposite +  and alternate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
ovate +  and oblanceolate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
membranous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +
villous +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
glabrate +  and tomentose +
Virginia or West Virginia spiraea +
Ala. +, Ga. +, Ky. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, Tenn. +, Va. +  and W.Va. +
not +  and aggregated +
200–1000 m +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
oblanceoloid +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
tomentose +  and glabrous +
5;4;5;4;5;4;5;4;5;4 +
list +  and count +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
not +  and aggregated +
not +  and aggregated +
Riparian zones of rocky stream reaches with high flows capable of scour and deposition of sediments +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and hairy +
turbinate +  and campanulate +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
(2-)3-1000+-flowered +
axillary +  and terminal +
crassinucellate +
compound +  and simple +
deciduous +
mucronate +
1 times number of secondary-veins +
inferior +  and superior +
biseriate +  and clustered +
collateral +  and apical +
0.5-1 times diam +
2cm +  and 8cm +
glabrous +  and hairy +
hemispheric +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (22 cm220 mm <br />0.22 m <br />) +
villous +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
translucent white +, greenish white +  and yellowish white +
free +  and distinct +
ovate;orbiculate +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Flowering May–Jul +  and fruiting Jun–Sep. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
not arillate +
fusiform;oblong +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (?) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
free +  and distinct +
reflexed +, erect +, ascending +  and spreading +
triangular +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
2 +  and 4 +
Conservation concern +  and Endemic +
free +  and distinct +
2 times petal length +
shorter or longer +
nectariferous +
reddish-brown +  and brown +
decumbent +  and prostrate +
erect +  and arching or prostrate +
villous;glabrous +
5 +  and 20 +
discoid +  and capitate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
distinct +
subterminal +  and terminal +
not elongate +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Spiraea virginiana +
species +
cladodromous +
pinnate +, dentate +  and entire +
1 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
mucronate +
1 times number of secondary-veins +
inconspicuous +
reduced +