Gaylussacia frondosa
in J. Torrey, Fl. New York 1: 449. 1843 ,.
Plants 7.5–20 dm, forming small to extensive colonies; branches spreading; twigs of current season pale green, glabrous or glabrate. Leaves: petiole 2–3 mm; blade greenish white, glaucescent abaxially, green to yellowish green, dull green adaxially, ovate to oblong, 2.5–5(–6) × 2–3 cm, subcoriaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces short-hairy (hairs white) or glabrous, sessile-glandular abaxially. Inflorescences drooping, 2–4-flowered, sometimes flowers solitary, bracteate, 1–4.5 cm, glabrous or pilose; bracts early-deciduous, leaflike or not, 5–6 mm, shorter than pedicels, sessile-glandular, sparsely hairy. Pedicels 8–15(–20) mm, glabrous, sessile-glandular; bracteoles 1–2, 1–2.5 mm, (sessile-glandular). Flowers: sepals 5, 1–1.2 mm, glabrous, sessile-glandular; petals 5, corolla greenish white, campanulate-conic, 3–5 mm, lobes deltate, 1–1.4 mm; filaments 0.5–1 mm, pilose; anthers included (tips barely exserted), 2.5 mm, thecae not divergent distally; ovary glabrous. Drupes juicy, sweet, blue (sometimes black, rarely white), glaucescent, 5–8 mm diam., glabrous. Seeds 1.5 mm.
Phenology: Flowering late spring.
Habitat: Upland sites in deciduous oak-hickory woods and pine hardwoods, roadsides, pastures, and utility rights-of-way, moist to wet acidic shrub swamps and pocosins, streamhead ecotones, moist to wet pine savannas and flatwoods
Elevation: 0-300 m
Distribution
Conn., Del., Ga., Md., Mass., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., R.I., S.C., Va.
Discussion
Selected References
None.