Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Clethra tomentosa
FAMILY
Cyrillaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Clethra alnifolia
FAMILY
Clethraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Clethra alnifolia var. pubescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Clethra tomentosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 143-01-002b:
Clethra alnifolia var. tomentosa FAMILY Clethraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Clethra tomentosa
COMMON NAME:
Downy Sweet-pepperbush, Downy White-alder
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_clal3_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_clal3_006_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm210806_2436
August Spartanburg County SC
)
Sam Pratt sbp_081413_1910
August Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
If recognized at varietal rank, the correct name is var. pubescens, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Sam Pratt sbp_081413_1910b
August Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
Leaves oblanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, densely tomentose beneath, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
COMPARE
leaves of Clethra and Itea
)
Sam Pratt sbp_2092
October Spartanburg County SC
In cultivation
Stamens and stigmas long-exserted, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Clethra tomentosa
FAMILY
Cyrillaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Clethra alnifolia
FAMILY
Clethraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Clethra alnifolia var. pubescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Clethra tomentosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 143-01-002b:
Clethra alnifolia var. tomentosa
FAMILY
Clethraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Clethra tomentosa
3572
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: pocosins, swamps, streambanks, per Weakley's Flora
Native to South Carolina & Georgia
Uncommon
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
5 sepals
5 petals
10 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p315
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p342
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p208
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p169
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".
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