Difference between revisions of "Morella cerifera"

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==Ecology==
 
==Ecology==
 
===Habitat=== <!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.-->
 
===Habitat=== <!--Natural communities, human disturbed habitats, topography, hydrology, soils, light, fire regime requirements for removal of competition, etc.-->
Is naturally found in interdune swales, pocosins, brackish marshes, and other wet to moist habitats. <ref name="Weakley 2015"/> Is widely planted as an ornamental or as a landscaping shrub. <ref name="Weakley 2015"/> ''M. cerifera'' responds positively to agricultural-based soil disturbance in South Carolina coastal plain communities. This marks it as an indicator species for post-agricultural woodland.<ref>Brudvig, L.A., E Grman, C.W. Habeck, and J.A. Ledvina. (2013). Strong legacy of agricultural land use on soils and understory plant communities in longleaf pine woodlands. Forest Ecology and Management 310: 944-955.</ref> However, ''M. cerifera'' responds negatively to heavy silvilculture in North Florida<ref>Conde, L.F., B.F. Swindel, and J.E. Smith. (1986). Five Years of Vegetation Changes Following Conversion of Pine Flatwoods to ''Pinus elliottii'' Plantations. Forest Ecology and Management 15(4):295-300.</ref> and both positively and negatively to soil disturbance by clearcutting and roller chopping in North Florida.<ref>Lewis, C.E., G.W. Tanner, and W.S. Terry. (1988). Plant responses to pine management and deferred-rotation grazing in north Florida. Journal of Range Management 41(6):460-465.</ref> It also responds negatively to soil disturbance by clearcutting and chopping in North Florida flatwoods forests.<ref>Moore, W.H., B.F. Swindel, and W.S. Terry. (1982). Vegetative Response to Clearcutting and Chopping in a North Florida Flatwoods Forest. Journal of Range Management 35(2):214-218.</ref>
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Is naturally found in interdune swales, pocosins, brackish marshes, and other wet to moist habitats. <ref name="Weakley 2015"/> Is widely planted as an ornamental or as a landscaping shrub. <ref name="Weakley 2015"/>  
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''M. cerifera'' responds positively to agricultural-based soil disturbance in South Carolina coastal plain communities. This marks it as an indicator species for post-agricultural woodland.<ref>Brudvig, L.A., E Grman, C.W. Habeck, and J.A. Ledvina. (2013). Strong legacy of agricultural land use on soils and understory plant communities in longleaf pine woodlands. Forest Ecology and Management 310: 944-955.</ref> However, ''M. cerifera'' responds negatively to heavy silvilculture in North Florida<ref>Conde, L.F., B.F. Swindel, and J.E. Smith. (1986). Five Years of Vegetation Changes Following Conversion of Pine Flatwoods to ''Pinus elliottii'' Plantations. Forest Ecology and Management 15(4):295-300.</ref> and both positively and negatively to soil disturbance by clearcutting and roller chopping in North Florida.<ref>Lewis, C.E., G.W. Tanner, and W.S. Terry. (1988). Plant responses to pine management and deferred-rotation grazing in north Florida. Journal of Range Management 41(6):460-465.</ref> It also responds negatively to soil disturbance by clearcutting and chopping in North Florida flatwoods forests.<ref>Moore, W.H., B.F. Swindel, and W.S. Terry. (1982). Vegetative Response to Clearcutting and Chopping in a North Florida Flatwoods Forest. Journal of Range Management 35(2):214-218.</ref> ''M. cerifera'' responds negatively to soil disturbance by roller chopping and negatively or not at all to disturbance by a KG blade in East Texas Loblolly Pine-Hardwood Forests.<ref>Stransky, J.J., J.C. Huntley, and Wanda J. Risner. (1986). Net Community Production Dynamics in the Herb-Shrub Stratum of a Loblolly Pine-Hardwood Forest: Effects of CLearcutting and Site Preparation. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-61. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 11 p.</ref>
  
 
===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/ -->

Revision as of 15:20, 24 July 2019

Morella cerfiera
More ceri.jpg
Photo by Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Tracheophyta- Vascular plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order: Fagales
Family: Myricaceae
Genus: Morella
Species: M. cerfiera
Binomial name
Morella cerfiera
(L.) Small
More ceri dist.jpg
Natural range of Morella cerfiera from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common names: Common waxmyrtle; Southern bayberry

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Myrica cerifera L.; Myrica cerifera Linnaeus var. cerifera; Morella cerifera (Linnaeus) Small; Cerothamnus ceriferus (Linnaeus) Small

Description

"Dioecious or monoecious shrubs or small trees, with brown to brownish-black, pubescent to glabrate twigs. Leaves deciduous or semi-evergreen, coriaceous, petiolate, exstipulate. Staminate catkins ovoid-cylindric, 0.6-2 cm long, 4-6 mm in diam.; bracteate and bracteolate; stamens 2-1, mostly 2-5. Pistillate catkins ovoid or cylindric, 5-10 mm long, deciduous-bracteate. Fruits drupaceous, white, globose, verrucose, 2.5-7 mm in diam. A taxonomically difficult group with intergrading species." [1]

"Shrub or small tree, 0.3-7 m tall. Leaves oblanceolate or elliptic, to 8 cm long and 2cm wide, heavily resinous on both surfaces, usually pubescent beneath, acute or obtuse, serrate or entire, base cuneate to attenuate, petioles to 1 cm long. Fruits 2.5-3.5 mm in diam." [1]

Distribution

Is found within the Coastal Plain and as far north as New Jersey. [2]

Ecology

Habitat

Is naturally found in interdune swales, pocosins, brackish marshes, and other wet to moist habitats. [2] Is widely planted as an ornamental or as a landscaping shrub. [2]

M. cerifera responds positively to agricultural-based soil disturbance in South Carolina coastal plain communities. This marks it as an indicator species for post-agricultural woodland.[3] However, M. cerifera responds negatively to heavy silvilculture in North Florida[4] and both positively and negatively to soil disturbance by clearcutting and roller chopping in North Florida.[5] It also responds negatively to soil disturbance by clearcutting and chopping in North Florida flatwoods forests.[6] M. cerifera responds negatively to soil disturbance by roller chopping and negatively or not at all to disturbance by a KG blade in East Texas Loblolly Pine-Hardwood Forests.[7]

Phenology

Flowers in April, and also from August to October. [2]

Conservation and management

Cultivation and restoration

Photo Gallery

References and notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 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. 360. Print.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Weakley, Alan S. Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States: Working Draft of 21 May 2015. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU). PDF. 644.
  3. Brudvig, L.A., E Grman, C.W. Habeck, and J.A. Ledvina. (2013). Strong legacy of agricultural land use on soils and understory plant communities in longleaf pine woodlands. Forest Ecology and Management 310: 944-955.
  4. Conde, L.F., B.F. Swindel, and J.E. Smith. (1986). Five Years of Vegetation Changes Following Conversion of Pine Flatwoods to Pinus elliottii Plantations. Forest Ecology and Management 15(4):295-300.
  5. Lewis, C.E., G.W. Tanner, and W.S. Terry. (1988). Plant responses to pine management and deferred-rotation grazing in north Florida. Journal of Range Management 41(6):460-465.
  6. Moore, W.H., B.F. Swindel, and W.S. Terry. (1982). Vegetative Response to Clearcutting and Chopping in a North Florida Flatwoods Forest. Journal of Range Management 35(2):214-218.
  7. Stransky, J.J., J.C. Huntley, and Wanda J. Risner. (1986). Net Community Production Dynamics in the Herb-Shrub Stratum of a Loblolly Pine-Hardwood Forest: Effects of CLearcutting and Site Preparation. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-61. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 11 p.