Halesia carolina

Linnaeus

Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1044, 1369. 1759 ,.

Common names: Carolina silverbell opossum-wood shittim-wood
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Halesia carolina var. monticola Rehder Halesia monticola Michaux Halesia monticola var. vestita Sargent Halesia parviflora Halesia tetraptera Halesia tetraptera var. monticola (Rehder) Reveal & Seldin
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 346.

Shrubs or trees to 24 m. Leaves: petiole 11–29 mm; blade whitish green or grayish green abaxially, ovate-oblong, elliptic, or obovate to oblanceolate, 8.7–22.5 × 3.8–11.4 cm, length 1.5–3.3 times width, margins 25–80-toothed, abaxial surface not shiny, quaternary veins not raised abaxially. Inflorescences appearing fasciculate, 2–6-flowered, sometimes solitary flowers, ebracteolate. Flowers: sepals 2–5 × 1.5–3 mm; corolla open prior to anthesis, 10–29 mm, glabrous, tube 7–26 mm, lobes 3–7 × 5–12 mm; stamens 12–16, 9–17 mm; filaments adnate to corolla 2–3 mm, free portion connate 1–3 mm, distinct portion 5–14 mm, glabrous abaxially, hairy adaxially; anthers 2.5–4 mm; style glabrous. Fruits ± equally 4-winged, ellipsoid to clavate, 2.4–5 × 0.7–2.6 cm. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–May; fruiting Jun–Nov.
Habitat: Moist, often slightly acidic and sandy soils, wooded floodplains, stream banks, borders of swamps, hammocks, roadsides
Elevation: 0-1600 m

Distribution

V8 681-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., La., Mich., Miss., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

Two poorly defined taxa have been segregated from Halesia carolina at the species level or below. The mountain entity, H. monticola, is a tree to 20 meters or more with relatively large flowers, deeply included stamens, and relatively large fruits. The more often recognized coastal-plain entity H. parviflora is a shrub with smaller flowers, exserted stamens, and clavate fruits. P. W. Fritsch and S. A. Lucas (2000) have demonstrated that the characters used to delimit segregates vary either irregularly or more or less continuously with latitude.

Halesia carolina is not native in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island but has been locally naturalized in these states.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"lengthofcorolla" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Halesia carolina"
connate +  and distinct +
perigynous;epigynous +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Peter W. Fritsch +
Linnaeus +
distinct +
grayish green +  and whitish green +
8.7 cm87 mm <br />0.087 m <br /> (22.5 cm225 mm <br />0.225 m <br />) +
obovate;oblanceolate +
3.8 cm38 mm <br />0.038 m <br /> (11.4 cm114 mm <br />0.114 m <br />) +
Carolina silverbell +, opossum-wood +  and shittim-wood +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Ala. +, Ark. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Ky. +, La. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Va. +  and W.Va. +
0-1600 m +
curved +  and straight +
loculicidal +
2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
ellipsoid;clavate +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br />) +
Moist, often slightly acidic and sandy soils, wooded floodplains, stream banks, borders of swamps, hammocks, roadsides +
inconspicuous +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
25-80-toothed +
erect +  and pendulous +
2 +  and 4 +
perigynous;epigynous +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (2.9 cm29 mm <br />0.029 m <br />) +
Flowering Mar–May +  and fruiting Jun–Nov. +
2-4-carpellate +
distinct +, connate +  and free +
hairy +  and glabrous +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
Syst. Nat. ed. +
fusiform +
distinct +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
12 +  and 16 +
2(-4) times number of corolla lobes +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
2-4[-5]-lobed +  and truncate +
Halesia carolina var. monticola +, Halesia monticola +, Halesia monticola var. vestita +, Halesia parviflora +, Halesia tetraptera +  and Halesia tetraptera var. monticola +
Halesia carolina +
species +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br />) +
tree +  and shrub +