Callicarpa americana L.

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Verbenaceae

• Scientific Name

  Callicarpa americana L.

• Description

  Species Description - Shrub to 3 m; twigs densely stellate-scurfy or tomentose; lvs opposite or rarely ternate, the petiole 0.5–3.5 cm, the blade ovate to elliptic, 8–23 × 3.5–13 cm, coarsely toothed, stellate-scurfy at first, later glabrate above; cymes compact, many-fld, usually shorter than the petiole; cal obconic, 1.6–1.8 mm, very shortly 4-toothed; cor bluish to reddish (white), the tube 2.6–3 mm, the lobes 1.3–1.5 mm, blunt; frs rose-pink to purple or blue, 3–6 mm, densely clustered; 2n=36. Moist, often wooded places; sw. Md. to N.C. and Ark., s. to Mex. and the W.I. June–Dec.

• Common Names

  American beautyberry