Lithospermum caroliniense (Walter ex J.F. Gmelin) MacMillan. Common name: Coastal Plain Puccoon. Phenology: Apr-Jun. Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, other dry sandy soils. Distribution: A Southeastern Coastal Plain endemic: se. SC south to Panhandle FL, and west to AR and TX; disjunct in se. VA. The disjunction from SC to se. VA, skipping over large amounts of apparently suitable sandhill habitat in NC, is surprising.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: The sibling taxa L. caroliniense and L. croceum have been variously treated as distinct species, subspecies, or varieties, or as mere forms (see synonymy). Cusick (1985) discusses them and concludes that "the two taxa are similar, but distinctive, and their geographic distributions are almost exclusive". They appear to be as clearly separable as L. caroliniense is from L. canescens; I regard them as allopatric species.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, F, NcTx, Tx, Va; = Batschia caroliniensis Walter ex J.F.Gmel. — S, (basionym); = Lithospermum carolinense ssp. carolinense — Cusick (1985); = Lithospermum caroliniense (Walter ex J.F.Gmel.) MacMill. var. caroliniense — C, K4; > Lithospermum bejariense A.DC.; < Lithospermum carolinense — GrPl, orthographic error; < Lithospermum caroliniense (Walter ex J.F.Gmel.) MacMill. — Fl5, G, RAB, WH3, Al-Shehbaz (1991)
Heliophily ⓘ: 9
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Horticultural Information
Intro | Stems | Leaves | Inforescence | Flowers | Fruits | Comments | Height | plant sale text | bloom table text | description | stems | leaves | inflorescence | flowers | fruits | comments | cultural notes | germination code | native range |
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Tufted, erect perennial found in sandhills and other dry, sandy soils. | Stems clumped, densely leafy, may be branched above, covered with scattered stiff hairs. | Leaves alternate, ascending to spreading, linear-lance-shaped, to 2½ in. long and roughly hairy on both surfaces. | Flowers in coiled, loose clusters terminating upper branches, these straightening as flowers open; bright yellow-orange; about 3/4 in. wide; the corolla tubular with 5 spreading, rounded lobes and the calyx hairy, with 5 linear to lance-shaped and flattened sepals. | Fruit a shiny, white nutlet. | The stout, wooden taproot of this plant was once used as a source of dye. | 1-3 ft. | Tufted, erect perennial found in sandhills and other dry, sandy soils. | Stems clumped, densely leafy, may be branched above, covered with scattered stiff hairs. | Leaves alternate, ascending to spreading, linear-lance-shaped, to 2½ in. long and roughly hairy on both surfaces. | Flowers in coiled, loose clusters terminating upper branches, these straightening as flowers open; bright yellow-orange; about 3/4 in. wide; the corolla tubular with 5 spreading, rounded lobes and the calyx hairy, with 5 linear to lance-shaped and flattened sepals. | Fruit a shiny, white nutlet. | The stout, wooden taproot of this plant was once used as a source of dye. |
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