Difference between revisions of "Callicarpa americana"
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==Ecology== | ==Ecology== | ||
| − | + | ===Habitat=== <!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.--> | |
| + | It can be found in hammocks, maritime forests, other forests (particularly with rocky or sandy soils), and disturbed sites.<ref name= "Weakley"/> | ||
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===Phenology=== <!--Timing off flowering, fruiting, seed dispersal, and environmental triggers. Cite PanFlora website if appropriate: http://www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ --> | ===Phenology=== <!--Timing off flowering, fruiting, seed dispersal, and environmental triggers. Cite PanFlora website if appropriate: http://www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ --> | ||
''C. americana'' has been observed flowering from May to August with peak inflorescence in June.<ref>Nelson, G. [http://www.gilnelson.com/ PanFlora]: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 7 DEC 2016</ref> | ''C. americana'' has been observed flowering from May to August with peak inflorescence in June.<ref>Nelson, G. [http://www.gilnelson.com/ PanFlora]: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 7 DEC 2016</ref> | ||
Revision as of 10:15, 29 March 2019
| Callicarpa americana | |
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| Photo taken by Kevin Robertson (2015) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Verbenaceae |
| Genus: | Callicarpa |
| Species: | C. americana |
| Binomial name | |
| Callicarpa americana L. | |
| |
| Natural range of Callicarpa americana from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Common names: American beautyberry; French-mulberry
Contents
Taxonomic notes
Synonyms: none
Varieties: none
In greek, Callicarpa derives from callos meaning "beauty" and carpos meaning "fruit".[1]
Description
Generally for the Callicarpa genus, they grow up to 1-2.5 m tall with twigs having stellate pubescence while being scrurfy when touched. The leaves are simple, opposite or subopposite, have short pubescent above, and ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or elliptic, acute to acuminate, petiolate in shape. The flowers are in axillary cymes. The calyx is shallowly 5-toothed, grows 0.5-2 mm long. The petals are united ca. 1/2-2/3 their length. The lobes 5, are spreading, are lavender to pinkish in color, grow 3-5 mm long. The stamens are exserted. The stigma is slightly 2-lobed. The drupe is 4-seeded, are lavendar to purple in color, are rarely white in color, and are globose. The seeds are light yellow to brown in color, are ellipsoid to orbicular rounded on the back, and are flattened on the inner surface. [2]
Specifically, for Callicarpa americana, the leaves are ovate to ovate-lanceolate in shape, there are stellate pubescence beneath the leaves, and grow 7-15 cm wide, are crenate to serrate, and at the base are widely cuneate or rounded. The petioles grow 1.5-3.5 cm long, and are scurfy stellate like the twigs. The cymes are shorter than the subtending petioles. The peduncles grow 1-5 mm long. The drupe grows 3-5 mm long. The pyrenes grow 2.3 mm long. [2]
Distribution
C. ameriana is native to the southeastern United States, ranging from Maryland to south Florida and Texas. It can also be found in Mexico and the West Indies.[3]
Ecology
Habitat
It can be found in hammocks, maritime forests, other forests (particularly with rocky or sandy soils), and disturbed sites.[3]
Phenology
C. americana has been observed flowering from May to August with peak inflorescence in June.[4]
Seed dispersal
The seeds are dispersed by animals and birds.[1]
Seed bank and germination
Seeds that are planted in the fall commonly germinate in the spring, but C. americana seeds can persist in the seed bank for several years.[1]
Pollination
The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Callicarpa americana at Archbold Biological Station: [5]
Apidae: Apis mellifera
Halictidae: Agapostemon splendens, Augochlora pura, Halictus poeyi, Lasioglossum placidensis
Megachilidae: Megachile brevis pseudobrevis
Use by animals
It is a moderate portion of large mammal diets, ranging from 10-25% of their average diet, and a low portion of small mammal and terrestrial bird diets, from 5-10% of their diet.[6][7] Since the fruit is high in moisture content, it is an important source of food for over 40 species of songbirds, like the Brown Thrasher, Purple Finch, American Robin, and Eastern Towhee. The fruit clusters are also eaten by foxes, opossum, armadillo, white tailed deer, squirrels, and raccoon. The white tailed deer also browse on the leaves when other preferred food is not available. As well, cattle browse on the twigs in the winter and twigs and leaves in the spring. Historically, C. americana was utilized by Native American tribes for many medicinal purposes; these include malarial fevers and rheumatism. As well, the roots were used for stomachaches, dizziness, and dysentry, and the roots and berries were used to treat colic by boiling them and drinking it. Farmers used the plant in the early 20th century as a mosquito repellent for horses and mules by crushing the leaves and placing them under the harnesses, and would use this same method on themselves as well.[1]
Diseases and parasites
Leaf spots (Atractilina callicarpae) and black mold (Meliola cookeana) affect plants in the Callicarpa genus.[1]
Conservation and management
It is listed as endangered and extirpated by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.[8] For ornamental management purposes, pruning the plants in the fall or winter will maintain its form, and old stems should be cut when pruning since only new growth produces fruit.[1]
Cultivation and restoration
While there is no official cultivars of C. americana, there is a variety available (C. americana var. lactea) that produces white fruit that is available at some nurseries.[1]
Photo Gallery
References and notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Brakie, M. 2010. Plant fact sheet for American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, East Texas Plant Materials Center. Nacogdoches, TX, 75964.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 894. Print.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.
- ↑ Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 7 DEC 2016
- ↑ Deyrup, M.A. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
- ↑ Miller, J.H., and K.V. Miller. 1999. Forest plants of the southeast and their wildlife uses. Southern Weed Science Society.
- ↑ Yarrow, G.K., and D.T. Yarrow. 1999. Managing wildlife. Sweet Water Press. Birmingham.
- ↑ USDA, NRCS. (2016). The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 29 March 2019). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
