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Betulaceae
Ostrya

not marked as a favorite taxon Ostrya virginiana (P. Miller) K. Koch. Common name: American Hop-hornbeam, Ironwood, Leverwood. Phenology: Mar-May; Aug-Oct. Habitat: Mesic to dry forests, often rocky, especially over basic rocks, reaching high elevations. Distribution: NS west to MB, south to c. peninsular FL, Panhandle FL, and TX.

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Ssp. guatemalensis (H.J.P. Winkler) A.E. Murray (or as a species or a variety) is sometimes distinguished.

Other Comments: One of our heaviest and hardest woods.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, Fl2, FNA3, G, K4, Mi, NcTx, NE, NS, NY, Pa, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, WV, Furlow (1990), Hardin (1971a); = Carpinus virginiana Mill. = Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) K.Koch var. virginiana; > Ostrya virginiana ssp. virginiana — POWO; > Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) K.Koch var. lasia Fernald — F, GrPl, Il, Tx; > Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) K.Koch var. virginiana — F, GrPl, Il. Basionym: Carpinus virginiana Mill. 1768

Links to other floras: = Ostrya virginiana - FNA3

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
  • Great Plains: FACU
  • Midwest: FACU
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACU

Heliophily ⓘ: 5

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image #1 of Ostrya virginiana© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Ostrya virginiana© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Ostrya virginiana© abelkinser, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Ostrya virginiana© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Ostrya virginiana© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Ostrya virginiana© Keith Bradley
image #7 of Ostrya virginiana© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #8 of Ostrya virginiana© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #10 of Ostrya virginiana© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image #12 of Ostrya virginiana© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
image #13 of Ostrya virginiana© abelkinser, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #16 of Ostrya virginiana© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #17 of Ostrya virginiana© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #19 of Ostrya virginiana© abelkinser, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #20 of Ostrya virginiana© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro:

Stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) green or orange or reddish-brown, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, pilose or stipitate glandular or villous. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous or pubescent. Leaf scars crescent-shaped or oval, bundle scars 3 per leaf scar, stipule scars present, stipule scars not circumferential. Bark of mature trunks flaky or shreddy. Buds axillary, reddish-brown, 3-6 mm long, ovoid, sharp, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, puberulent, bud scales imbricate.

Leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate or spiral, (2-)8-10(-15) cm long, (1.2-)4-5(-7.6) cm wide, elliptic or lanceolate or oval or ovate, leaf margins serrate or doubly serrate, leaf apices acuminate or acute, leaf bases cordate or cuneate or oblique or rounded. Leaf upper surface green or yellow-green, glabrous. Leaf lower surface green, pubescent or with tufts in vein axils. Leaf venation pinnate. Petioles 0.2-1.3 cm long, glabrous or pubescent. Stipules present, caducous, not circumferential.

Inforescence: Inflorescences axillary or terminal, catkins, flowers sessile or stalked.

Flowers: Flowers unisexual or pistillate or staminate, epigynous. Perianth. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens 3(-6) per flower. Gynoecium. Ovaries inferior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 2 carpels per flower, styles 2 per pistil, placentation axile. Hypanthia present.

Fruits: Fruits accessory fruits or nuts, 0.5-0.8 cm long, brown or tan, fruit maturation 1 years.

Comments: Nuts enclosed in a bladder-like sac derived from bracts which are clustered in cone-like structures having the appearance of hops.

Height: 25-40 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description:

stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) green or orange or reddish-brown, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, pilose or stipitate glandular or villous. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous or pubescent. Leaf scars crescent-shaped or oval, bundle scars 3 per leaf scar, stipule scars present, stipule scars not circumferential. Bark of mature trunks flaky or shreddy. Buds axillary, reddish-brown, 3-6 mm long, ovoid, sharp, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, puberulent, bud scales imbricate.

leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate or spiral, (2-)8-10(-15) cm long, (1.2-)4-5(-7.6) cm wide, elliptic or lanceolate or oval or ovate, leaf margins serrate or doubly serrate, leaf apices acuminate or acute, leaf bases cordate or cuneate or oblique or rounded. Leaf upper surface green or yellow-green, glabrous. Leaf lower surface green, pubescent or with tufts in vein axils. Leaf venation pinnate. Petioles 0.2-1.3 cm long, glabrous or pubescent. Stipules present, caducous, not circumferential.

inflorescence: Inflorescences axillary or terminal, catkins, flowers sessile or stalked.

flowers: Flowers unisexual or pistillate or staminate, epigynous. Perianth. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens 3(-6) per flower. Gynoecium. Ovaries inferior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 2 carpels per flower, styles 2 per pistil, placentation axile. Hypanthia present.

fruits: Fruits accessory fruits or nuts, 0.5-0.8 cm long, brown or tan, fruit maturation 1 years.

comments: Nuts enclosed in a bladder-like sac derived from bracts which are clustered in cone-like structures having the appearance of hops.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern North America



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