Nyssa
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Authority
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
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Family
Nyssaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Genus Description - Dioecious or polygamo-dioecious; infls (or solitary fls) axillary, pedunculate; staminate fls in short racemes or heads, with minute sep, 5–10 small, imbricate pet, and 8–15 stamens much longer than the pet in 2 ± definite whorls; "perfect" (but functionally pistillate) fls solitary or in infls of 2–4+ and sessile (in ours) on slender peduncles, the sep, when present, usually 5, the pet 5–8, the stamens fewer than in the staminate fls and about equaling the pet, or wanting; ovary unilocular and with a single style and ovule, seldom with a more or less well developed second locule and style; fr a drupe, crowned by the persistent disk, each locule opening apically by a triangular valve at the time of germination; deciduous trees or large shrubs with alternate lvs. 5, N. Amer. and se. Asia.
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Common Names
sour gum