OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

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



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.

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_dipa9_001_lvd

        

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

JK Marlow    jkm100314_038

March    Decatur County    GA

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

JK Marlow    jkm100314_040

March    Decatur County    GA

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

Ron Lance    rwl_dircapalustris

March        

In cultivation

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

Roxanna Martin    rlm4910_148

April    Spartanburg County    SC

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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).

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

JK Marlow    s060429_c

April    Clay County    NC

Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District

image of Dirca palustris, Eastern Leatherwood, Leatherbark, Wicopee, Rope-bark

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

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

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

map
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!



 


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