Lyonia lucida (Lam.) K.Koch
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Authority
Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Ericaceae
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Scientific Name
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Synonyms
Andromeda nitida W.Bartram ex Marshall, Andromeda coriacea Aiton, Andromeda marginata Veill., Andromeda nitida var. rhombifolia W.Bartram ex Marshall & Alph.Wood, Andromeda lacustris C.Wright, Andromeda coriacea var. rubra Lodd., Andromeda lucida Lam., Desmothamnus lucidus (Lam.) Small, Pieris lucida (Lam.) Rehder, Xolisma lucida (Lam.) Rehder, Pieris nitida (W.Bartram ex Marshall) Benth. & Hook., Lyonia nitida (W.Bartram ex Marshall) Fernald, Neopieris nitida (W.Bartram ex Marshall) Britton & A.Br., Desmothamnus nitidus (W.Bartram ex Marshall) Small, Andromeda myrtifolia Salisb., Leucothoe coriacea (Aiton) DC., Lyonia marginata (Veill.) D.Don, Leucothoe marginata (Veill.) Spach, Andromeda lacustris C.Wright, Lyonia marginata var. rubra (Lodd.) Loudon, Pieris nitida var. rubra (Lodd.) Rehder, Xolisma lucida var. rubra (Lodd.) Rehder, Lyonia lucida f. rubra (Lodd.) Rehder
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Description
Species Description - Small to moderate-sized evergreen shrub to 2.5 (-5) m tall, with brownish to gray, shallowly and longitudinally furrowed bark, usually spreading vegetatively by horizontal underground rhizomes; twigs usually sharply 3-angled, slender, erect to arching, with few short-headed hairs, otherwise glabrous to moderately pubescent; buds ovoid, 1-3 × 0.7-1.5 mm, with 2-6 imbricate bud scales depending on age. Leaf blades narrowly to widely elliptic, obovate, or slightly ovate, 1-8.5(-10.5) × 0.5-4.5 (-5.5) cm, sometimes quite reduced in size toward branch apices, ± flat, quite coriaceous, ca. 0.2-0.45 mm thick; base attenuate or cuneate to rounded; apex acuminate to acute (rounded); margin entire, usually revolute; venation modified brochidodromous, 3° veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface sparsely covered with short-headed glandular hairs, otherwise ± glabrescent (sparsely pubescent on basal portion of midvein), 2° and 3° veins usually obscure to slightly raised and visible; abaxial surface with sparse short-headed glandular hairs, otherwise glabrous, the 3° and higher-order veins usually obscure, the 2° veins slightly raised and visible, extending straight or slightly arching toward margin where they join to form intramarginal vein; petiole 1-8 mm long, with short-headed hairs, otherwise glabrous or pubescent adaxially; flower buds above vegetative buds. Inflorescences fasciculate, to 10(-15)-flowered; pedicels slender to stout, 2.5-13 mm long, with short-headed glandular hairs, otherwise glabrous to densely pubescent; bracteoles opposite, basal, triangular to ovate, 1-2.5 × ca. 1.5 mm, often persistent; floral bracts to ca. 4 mm long, similar to bracteoles in shape. Flowers 5-merous; calyx lobes persistent, elongate-triangular, 2-7.5 × 1-2 mm, usually with acute apices, usually swollen at base; adaxial side very sparsely to moderately pubescent, abaxial side with scattered short-headed glandular hairs, otherwise glabrous to moderately pubescent; corolla cylindrical with swollen base, often appearing merely cylindrical after drying, pink, less commonly white or red, 5-9 × 2.5-5 mm, abaxially with very sparse short-headed glandular hairs, often appearing glabrous; filaments roughened, 3-5 mm long, with 2 usually well-developed spurs below anther-filament junction; anthers 0.8-1.5 mm long; ovary glabrous or with few short-headed glandular hairs, placentae central to nearly basal. Capsules ovoid to ovoid-globose (slightly urn-shaped), 3-5 × 3-5 mm, glabrous or with very few shortheaded hairs, with pale, slightly to strongly thickened sutures that usually remain attached to an adjacent valve during dehiscence; seeds 0.7-1.3 mm long.
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Discussion
Lyonia lucida is a very distinctive species characterized by coriaceous, persistent, entire-margined leaves with an intramarginal vein and scattered, multicellular, more or less short-headed glandular hairs; fasciculate inflorescences; elongated calyx lobes; usually pink, cylindrical corollas with a swollen base; and roughened-papillose filaments with two usually well-developed spurs just below the anther-filament junction. It is also unusual in that the vascular tissue of the leaf midrib and petiole is unifacial or nearly so.
Lyonia lucida is most closely related to L. mariana. Although L. lucida lacks the strikingly urnshaped capsule of L. mariana, its capsule often is slightly constricted at the apex; both species have central to nearly basal placentae (Judd, 1981). Lyonia lucida is the only member of section Maria occurring in the Neotropics.Lyonia lucida is quite variable in leaf size and shape and in habit. In sunny, dry environments it tends to be a dwarf shrub with rigidly ascending branches bearing very small and narrow leaves, while in damp, shaded localities it is often a quite large shrub with beautifully arching branches and large, more or less elliptic leaves. The Cuban populations often have slightly longer and more densely pubescent calyx lobes than do plants on the coastal plain of the southeastern United States, but in all other respects plants of the two regions are identical. -
Common Names
clavellina
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Objects
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Distribution
United States, chiefly coastal plain from SE Virginia to Florida, west to Louisiana, also in Cuba (Pinar del Río prov., Isle of Pines). Chiefly in white-sand Pinus savannas and near pond margins (Jennings, 1917; Marie Victorin & Leon, 1942; Alain, 1946b; Smith, 1954). Flowering mainly late March to early May in SE U.S.; chiefly November and December in Cuba.
Cuba South America| Piñar del Río Cuba South America|