Dirca

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 358. 1753.

,

Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 167. 1754.

Common names: Leatherwood
Etymology: Greek mythological Dirce, wife of Lycus who was transformed by Dionysus into a fountain
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 381. Mentioned on page 383.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA6 P43 Wissadula periplocifolia.jpegWissadula periplocifolia
Amoreuxia wrightii
Amoreuxia palmatifida
Dirca palustris
Linny Heagy
Linny Heagy
Linny Heagy
Linny Heagy

Shrubs, deciduous, to 3 m. Stems erect, branched, appearing jointed, woody, sericeous or or (3–) 4-lobed; petals (absent in D. palustris), included, minute, forming ring at base of staminal filaments; stamens 8, exserted, inserted within calyx; style exserted, elongate; stigma punctiform. Fruits drupaceous, yellow, yellow-green, or green, fleshy, oil-rich, hypanthium not persistent.

Distribution

North America, ne Mexico

Discussion

Species 4 (3 in the flora).

Dirca mexicana G. L. Nesom & Mayfield is known from Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Key

1 Inflorescences pedunculate, flowers pedicellate; calyx unlobed or 4–5-lobed, margins shallowly crenate, erose, or undulate; bracts brown- to tan-pubescent; leaf blades usually glabrous, rarely with persistent indument. Dirca palustris
1 Inflorescence epedunculate, flowers sessile or subsessile; calyx (3–)4-lobed, margins entire or erose; bracts white-tan tomentose; leaf blades hairy > 2
2 Pedicels glabrous; apex of ovary and fruit glabrous; leaf margins with 6–9 cilia per mm. Dirca occidentalis
2 Pedicels sericeous; apex of ovary and fruit with trichomes; leaf margins with 11–18 cilia per mm. Dirca decipiens
... more about "Dirca"
Aaron Floden +  and Lorin I. Nevling Jr. +
Linnaeus +
Leatherwood +
North America +  and ne Mexico +
achlorophyllous +
Greek mythological Dirce, wife of Lycus who was transformed by Dionysus into a fountain +
green +, yellow-green +  and yellow +
indehiscent +
not persistent +
1(-5)-carpellate +
Sp. Pl. +  and Gen. Pl. ed. +
1753 +  and 1754 +
crassinucellate +, carunculate +, arillate +  and bitegmic +
hemianatropous +  and anatropous +
peterson2009a +, schrader2004a +, schrader2005a +  and vogelman1953a +
diplostemonous +
jointed +  and branched +
(3-)4-lobed +
punctiform +
elongate +
Thymelaeaceae +
lignified +