OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Cornales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Nyssa biflora   FAMILY Nyssaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Nyssa biflora   FAMILY Cornaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Nyssa biflora

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 141-01-001b:

Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora   FAMILY Nyssaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Nyssa biflora

 

COMMON NAME:
Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_814

        

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_nybi_001_lvd

        

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

JK Marlow    jkm160416_246

April    Lowndes County    GA

Leaf scars of Nyssa species native to the Southeast have 3 bundle scars, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

JK Marlow    jkm160416_281

April    Lowndes County    GA

Bark is longitudinally furrowed but not blocky like that of N. sylvatica, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

JK Marlow    jkm080505_032

May    Spartanburg County    SC

Chinquapin Greenway

Lvs thick textured, rather stiff, typically widest beyond middle, 5-14cm long, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

JK Marlow    jkm080505_085

May    Spartanburg County    SC

Chinquapin Greenway

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

JK Marlow    jkm080505_092

May    Spartanburg County    SC

Chinquapin Greenway

Pistillate flowers and fruits usually 2 (sometimes 1 or 3) per peduncle, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

JK Marlow    jkm080505_093

May    Spartanburg County    SC

Chinquapin Greenway

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

JK Marlow    jkm080505_093b

May    Spartanburg County    SC

Chinquapin Greenway

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

JK Marlow    jkm210706_1907

July    Greenville County    SC

Blackwell Heritage Preserve

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

Will Stuart    wil_8495394007_91a6940bfc

September    Chesterfield County    SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Fruit similar in size and shape to that of Blackgum, leaves smaller, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Nyssa biflora, Swamp Tupelo, Swamp Blackgum, Swamp Gum, Water Gum

Will Stuart    wil_8495394653_a7827f31b1

September    Chesterfield County    SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Swamp tupelo common along the edge of many pools in the Carolina Sandhills. — Will Stuart

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Nyssa biflora   FAMILY Nyssaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Nyssa biflora   FAMILY Cornaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Nyssa biflora

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 141-01-001b:
Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora   FAMILY Nyssaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Nyssa biflora

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

978

Tree
Perennial
Dioecious or polygamo-dioecious

Habitat: blackwater river swamps, depressions in pinelands, pocosins, either where inundated for substantial periods of time or in more-or-less permanently saturated organic peaty soils, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
5 sepals
5-10 petals or petals absent

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Blue
Drupe

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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