Clethra acuminata

Clethra acuminata

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Clethraceae
Genus: Clethra
Species:
C. acuminata
Binomial name
Clethra acuminata
Michx.
Synonyms[2]
  • Clethra alnifolia var. michauxii (Courtois) G. Nicholson
  • Clethra glauca Pers.
  • Clethra glauca Steud.
  • Clethra michauxii Courtois
  • Clethra montana Fraser ex Loisel.

Clethra acuminata, the mountain pepper bush, is a shrub native to the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States.[3] It has been reported from the states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, primarily from deciduous forests at elevations of 500–1,400 m (1,600–4,600 ft).[4]

Clethra acuminata is a native plant to the lower 48 states of the United States.[5] It is an understory shrub found in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States.[6] Other common names of Clethra acuminata include cinnamon clethra, mountain sweetpepperbush, and mountain sweet pepperbush.[7] Clethra acuminata is a distinct species due to its floral and vegetative morphology within the genus.[8] While Clethra acuminata is sometimes misidentified as Clethra alnifolia, they are two distinct species, Clethra acuminata has longer leaves.[9]

  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0 - Clethra acuminata, Mountain Sweet-pepperbush". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  2. ^ The Plant List
  3. ^ Thomas, J. L. 1961. The genera of the Cyrillaceae and Clethraceae of the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 42: 96-106.
  4. ^ "Clethra acuminata in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Archived from the original on 2023-10-11. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  5. ^ "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  6. ^ "USDA Plants Database". plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  7. ^ "Cinnamon Clethra (Clethra acuminata) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  8. ^ Wilbur, Robert L.; Hespenheide, Henry A. (1967). "The Genus Clethra (Clethraceae) in the United States". Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. 83 (2): 82–88. ISSN 0013-6220.
  9. ^ "Flora of the Southeastern US". fsus.ncbg.unc.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-05.