Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Malvales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Dirca palustris
FAMILY
Thymelaeaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Eastern Leatherwood at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
All species of the Thymelaeaceae family are poisonous to mammals.... The bark and fruit can be extremely irritating to mucous membranes even after drying and cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Read more in Flora of North America.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dirca palustris
FAMILY
Thymelaeaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Dirca palustris
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Dirca palustris
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 133-01-001:
Dirca palustris FAMILY Thymelaeaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Dirca palustris
COMMON NAME:
Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_dipa9_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm100314_019
March Decatur County GA
Flowers in axillary clusters of 2-3; floral tube 5-6mm long, per Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989).
)
JK Marlow jkm100314_024
March Decatur County GA
Twigs have a jointed appearance due to swollen nodes, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm100314_030
March Decatur County GA
The tough tan-brown bark was used by native Americans for cordage, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
JK Marlow jkm100314_038
March Decatur County GA
)
JK Marlow jkm100314_040
March Decatur County GA
)
Roxanna Martin rlm31911_87
March Spartanburg County SC
Flowers in clusters of 2-3, appearing with or just before lanose young leaves, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Roxanna Martin rlm31911_92
March Spartanburg County SC
Pale yellow, funnel- or bell-shaped flowers about 1/3" long, per Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977).
)
Ron Lance rwl_dircapalustris
March
In cultivation
)
Ron Lance rwl_dircapalustris2
March
In cultivation
Naked buds partially sunken and surrounded by leaf scars, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm060429_170
April Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
Leaves elliptic or oval, short-petioled, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
JK Marlow jkm060429_173
April Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
Drupe red [when ripe], ellipsoid, 6-8mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm060429_179
April Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
The curiously flexible twigs and swollen nodes are distinctive, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
Roxanna Martin rlm4211_230
April Spartanburg County SC
Fruit a greenish drupe about 1cm long, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
Roxanna Martin rlm4910_148
April Spartanburg County SC
)
Roxanna Martin rlm4910_150
April Spartanburg County SC
Leaves widely elliptic to obovate, mostly 4-9cm long, 2.5-7cm wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow s060429_c
April Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmdpalustris_wl2
Month Unknown
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Dirca palustris
FAMILY
Thymelaeaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dirca palustris
FAMILY
Thymelaeaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Dirca palustris
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Dirca palustris
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 133-01-001:
Dirca palustris
FAMILY
Thymelaeaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Dirca palustris
480
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: Very rich forests, on slopes or bottomlands, limited to calcareous or mafic rocks such as limestone, calcareous siltstone, calcareous shale, gabbro, or amphibolite, in marl ravine bottoms in the Coastal Plain of VA, in Ashe County NC ascending to 1500 meters elevation, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring
Yellowish
Calyx tube unlobed
Petals inconspicuous
8 stamens, of varying lengths
Superior ovary
Flowers in axillary clusters
FRUIT:
Summer
Reddish/ Purple/ Greenish
Drupe
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p244
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p209
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p203
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p098
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p442
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p31
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p132
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".