by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages
Myricaceae > Morella | |
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Common Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera) New Hanover Co., NC 13 Oct 2007 Formerly classified as Myrica cerifera, Common Wax Myrtle is indeed common in the eastern half of North Carolina. The waxy fruits are a staple of many species of wintering birds, including the Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler. |
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Common Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera) Dare Co., NC 6 Nov 2008 |
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Common Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera) Dare Co., NC 4 Oct 2009 |
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Common Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera) Dare Co., NC 4 Oct 2009 Fruits are very waxy and aromatic. |
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Common Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera) Dare Co., NC 4 Oct 2009 Leaf undersufaces have yellow glands. |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 In NC, found only in Dare & Currituck Counties, mostly in dune habitats along the Outer Banks. |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 Averaging much wider than M. cerifera, the leaves are elliptic to broadly oblanceolate, wider above the middle than below the middle, with a few teeth on the upper half of the leaf. |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 Punctate glands, visible as tiny golden dots, cover the undersurface of the leaves. |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 Punctate glands visible on the upper leaf surfaces as well. |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 Young twigs dark reddish with light lenticels and globose buds. |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 Older twigs reminiscent of Black Cherry. |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 Trunks often grayish with faded lenticels. |
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Northern Bayberry, Candleberry (Morella pensylvanica) Stabilized dune habitat in Dare Co., NC 7 Nov 2008 |
Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.
Created on Oct 17, 2007 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com