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Godfrey'S Swampprivet (Forestiera godfreyi)

Description

Deciduous shrub or small tree, 8 - 16 feet tall, main stems arching or leaning. Leaves 2 - 3 inches long, opposite, simple, oval, margins toothed above the middle, uniformly hairy on under surface. Leaf stalks and twigs hairy. Male and female flowers on separate plants. Male flowers (see photo) borne in clusters of 12 - 15, each flower with 3 - 5 showy stamens, 4 - 5 very tiny sepals, and no petals; each male flower cluster surrounded by 4 small and 2 tiny pale yellow bracts. Female flowers in clusters of 5 - 10, each flower with 1 pistil, 2 - 4 non-functional stamens, and 6 small bracts. Flower clusters are held close to the stem and may appear to be a single, 4-petaled flower. Fruits are waxy and dark blue.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum: Magnoliophyta

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Lamiales

            • Family: Oleaceae

              • Genus: Forestiera