Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fagales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Morella pusilla
FAMILY
Myricaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Dwarf Wax-myrtle at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Morella cerifera
FAMILY
Myricaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Morella pumila
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America
Myrica cerifera
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 052-03-001b:
Myrica cerifera var. pumila FAMILY Myricaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Myrica pusilla
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cerothamnus pumilus
COMMON NAME:
Dwarf Wax-myrtle, Dwarf Bayberry
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_moce2_002_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_myce_001_lvd
)
Alan S. Weakley asw_239024625204710
April FL
Apalachicola National Forest
Leaves usually few-toothed above the middle, both surfaces w resin dots, fragrant when crushed, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
Alan S. Weakley asw_934126734383465
April FL
Apalachicola National Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm0505t_17
May Williamsburg County SC
Small shrub usually less than 1m tall, strongly stoloniferous, per Weakley's Flora.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Morella pusilla
FAMILY
Myricaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Morella cerifera
FAMILY
Myricaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Morella pumila
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America
Myrica cerifera
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 052-03-001b:
Myrica cerifera var. pumila
FAMILY
Myricaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Myrica pusilla
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cerothamnus pumilus
1944
Shrub; Tree
Perennial
Dioecious
Habitat: pine savannas, pine flatwoods, relatively moist to extremely dry sites in sandhills (such as under Quercus laevis and Q. geminata), typically over spodosols, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Coastal Plain
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Semi-evergreen
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring
Sepals absent
Petals absent
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Flowers in catkins
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Waxy gray
Drupaceous
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p366?
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p353?
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p341
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p503
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p079
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p054?
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p206?
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p216
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p072
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".