Nyssa aquatica | |
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A stand of Nyssa aquatica (water tupelo) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Cornales |
Family: | Nyssaceae |
Genus: | Nyssa |
Species: | N. aquatica
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Binomial name | |
Nyssa aquatica | |
Natural range |
Nyssa aquatica, commonly called the water tupelo,[2] cottongum,[3] wild olive,[3] large tupelo,[3] tupelo-gum,[2] or water-gum,[2] is a large, long-lived tree in the tupelo genus (Nyssa) that grows in swamps and floodplains in the Southeastern United States.[4]
Nyssa aquatica trunks have a swollen base that tapers up to a long, clear bole, and its root system is periodically under water.[4] Water tupelo trees often occur in pure stands.