Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fagales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Morella pensylvanica
FAMILY
Myricaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Northern Bayberry at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
On interdune flats, it often grows intermixed with Morella cerifera, but is readily distinguished (even at a distance) by its stoloniferous growth (appearing as dome-shaped clones 3-20m in diameter), stouter twigs, and tardily deciduous leaves. Learn other distinguishing characters in Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Morella pensylvanica
FAMILY
Myricaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Morella pensylvanica
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Myrica pensylvanica
INCLUDED WITHIN New England Wildflower Society’s Flora Novae Angliae (Haines, 2011)
Morella caroliniensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 052-03-002:
Myrica pensylvanica FAMILY Myricaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Myrica pensylvanica
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cerothamnus carolinensis
COMMON NAME:
Northern Bayberry
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_m_pensylvanica_0033
October Currituck County NC
Leaves coriaceous, tardily deciduous, often revolute, per Weakley's Flora.
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_m_pensylvanica_0034
October Currituck County NC
Fruit 4-6(7)mm diam, frt wall & warty protuberances densely hirsute when young, per Weakley's Flora.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Morella pensylvanica
FAMILY
Myricaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Morella pensylvanica
FAMILY
Myricaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Morella pensylvanica
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Myrica pensylvanica
INCLUDED WITHIN
New England Wildflower Society’s Flora Novae Angliae (Haines, 2011)
Morella caroliniensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 052-03-002:
Myrica pensylvanica
FAMILY
Myricaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Myrica pensylvanica
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cerothamnus carolinensis
964
Shrub
Perennial
Dioecious
Habitat: dunes, sometimes even on the foredune and stoloniferously colonizing the upper beach, more typically behind the foredune on secondary dunes and sandy flats, often growing intermixed with Morella cerifera, but able to occupy drier sites higher on the dunes, from VA north, also ranging inland in sandy situations, per Weakley's Flora
Native to North Carolina
Uncommon in NC Coastal Plain
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Tardily deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring
Sepals absent
Petals absent
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Flowers in catkins
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Waxy gray
Drupe-like
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020) p077
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p079
- Landscaping with Native Trees (Sternberg & Wilson, 1995) p255
- Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants p073
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p054
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p218
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