Picea mariana (P. Miller) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenburg. Black Spruce, Lash-horn. Hab: Swamps and other acidic wetlands. Dist: NL (Newfoundland, Labrador), NU, NT, YT, and AK south to n. NJ, s. PA, s. MI, ne. IL, MN, and BC.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: The species has also been reported from bogs in our area: for NC by Small (1933) and for VA by Fernald (1950). These reports are apparently based on misidentifications of short-leaved, bog-inhabiting populations of P. rubens. Hardin (1971b) discusses the existence of these southern populations of P. rubens growing in bogs (notably Long Hope Valley, Ashe and Watauga counties, NC and Pineola Bog, Avery County, NC) with shorter than normal leaves (8-10 mm long vs. 12-15 mm long). He suggests that "this may be ecotypic, but one wonders whether the short leaves and bog habitat might reflect a few Black Spruce genes that have persisted since the Pleistocene". Further study with modern electrophoretic and molecular techniques is warranted.

Synonymy ⓘ: = AqW, C, F, FNA2, G, Il, K1, K4, Mi, NE, NY, Pa; > Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenb. var. mariana – K3

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
• Great Plains: FACW
• Midwest: FACW
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACW

Heliophily ⓘ: 3