Liquidambar Styraciflua L
Common Names:
alligator wood
Bilsted
Blackgum
Redgum
Star-leaf gum
Sweetgum
Higher Taxon:
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Hamamelidae
Order: Hamamelidales
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Subfamily: Liquidambaroideae
Genus: Liquidambar
(Mabberley, 262)
For More
Identification:
Liquidambar styraciflua is a large, monoecious tree frequently with
corky-winged branches. The leaves are palmately 5 (3-7) lobed; itís 1.5 cm
long and wide and glabrate at maturity. The lobes are serrate and acute with
petioles of 12cm long. The staminate inflorescences racemore to 6cm long and
has staminate flowers without any sepals or petals. They have numerous
stamens in bracteate, globular masses with filaments 1mm long. The calyx
tube is the length of the ovary with lobes being absent. The peduncles grow
to about 6cm or more long. The capsules are septicidal, obovoid, and beaked
by persistent styles. The seeds are lustrous, brownish, wing-angled, and
about 6-9mm long. (Radford, 529) Other Sites
Geography:
Located near: swampy woods, Fla to Texas and Mexico, s. Ct. to s. NY,
West VA, s. Ohio, s. Indiana, s. Illinois, and se Mo. (Fernald, 751)
Other: Samís Farm Old Fields and Woods, Clark Co., Georgia, Central
Arch., Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mtns, Ridge and Valley,
Cumberland Plateau, southeastern U.S., southern Appalachian States,
east North Am., and east Asia.
L.styra.range
Acknowlegements: William Linnell, Mike Moore, Brian, and
.