Lindera
Nova Gen. Pl. 3: 64. 1783, name conserved.
Shrubs or small trees, deciduous. Bark grayish, becoming darker with age. Leaves alternate, aromatic when crushed (at least when young). Leaf blade pinnately veined, membranous to nearly leathery; surfaces glabrous to densely pubescent; domatia absent. Inflorescences appearing before leaves, axillary, clusters (pseudoumbels), clusters subsessile, nearly umbellate, each subtended by 2 pairs of decussate bracts. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate on different plants, a few bisexual flowers on some plants; tepals deciduous, yellow, pellucid-dotted, equal, glabrous. Staminate flowers: stamens 9; anthers 2-locular, 2-valved, introrse. Pistillate flowers: staminodes variously developed; ovary globose. Drupe bright red, ellipsoid to nearly globose, borne on pedicel, with or without persistent tepals at base. x = 12.
Distribution
North America, e Asia.
Discussion
Species ca. 100 (3 in the flora).
Selected References
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Leaf blade somewhat leathery, larger blades usually less than 8 × 4 cm, young leaves faintly aromatic when crushed, becoming essentially odorless with age. | Lindera subcoriacea |
| 1 | Leaf blade membranous, larger blades usually more than 8 × 4 cm, crushed leaves strongly aromatic throughout growing season. | > 2 |
| 2 | Leaves horizontal to mostly ascending; blade obovate, base cuneate, apex acuminate on larger leaves; fruiting pedicels of previous season not persistent on stem, not conspicously enlarged at apex; shrubs or small trees. | Lindera benzoin |
| 2 | Leaves drooping; blade elliptic to ovate, base rounded to widely cuneate, apex acute; fruiting pedicels of previous season persistent on stem, enlarged at apex; low shrubs rarely over 1.5 m. | Lindera melissifolia |