Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Magnoliids: Laurales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Litsea aestivalis
FAMILY
Lauraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Litsea from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
The fine, zigzag twigs are distinctive. It grows to 6 m tall, characteristically forming a rounded multi-stemmed bush, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Litsea aestivalis
FAMILY
Lauraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Litsea aestivalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Litsea aestivalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 084-03-001:
Litsea aestivalis FAMILY Lauraceae
COMMON NAME:
Pondspice
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_glge_001_lvd
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Litsea aestivalis
FAMILY
Lauraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Litsea aestivalis
FAMILY
Lauraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Litsea aestivalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Litsea aestivalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 084-03-001:
Litsea aestivalis
FAMILY
Lauraceae
2596
Shrub
Perennial
Dioecious
Habitat: Margins of limesink ponds and Carolina bays, less commonly in wet depressions and wet stringers dominated by shrubs, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring
Yellow
Radially symmetrical
3-merous
6 deciduous tepals
9 (or 12) stamens
Superior ovary
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Red
Drupe
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p321
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p409
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p112
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p062
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p195
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