Stewartia malacodendron

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:THEACEAE
Species:Stewartia malacodendron L.
Common Name:Silky Camellia
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Tree
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:STMA
Plant Notes:Silky Camellia is a native deciduous shrub in the Tea family (Theaceae). It occurs throughout Alabama, but is most common in the southeastern portion of the state. Silky Camellia occurs in rich hardwood forests along streams and rivers, and in ravines. It is a deciduous shrub reaching 15 feet in height. The bark is smooth and reddish brown in color. It flakes in strips from older stems. Leaves are alternate, pubescent, oblong to elliptic in outline, with finely serrate margins. Flowers are produced singly from the axils of the leaves. Flowers are subtended by 2 large green bracts. Flowers have five white petals. In some populations, the petals are often marked with streaks of purple-red. There are 50-100 purple stamens in the center of the flower. Silky Camellia has one style. The fruit is a capsule containing 1-4 angular brown seed. Silky Camellia is listed as an S2S3 species in Alabama (S2 - Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state. S3 - Typically 21 to 100 occurrences, limited acreage, or miles of stream in the state) and globally as a G4 species (imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors). Silky Camellia is difficult to transplant and should not be dug from the wild. Plants can be purchased from nurseries that specialize in native species. Ideal sites for these plants are sheltered woody areas with rich loamy soils. It prefers moist but well drained soils. Silky Camellia is slow growing and does not respond to pruning well. A second species, Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata (Cavanilles) Weatherby), occurs in north Alabama. It has yellow anthers and five styles.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, S2S3 (State Rank), G4 (Global Rank)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyTHEACEAE - Tea/Camellia family
Genus Stewartia
Species Stewartia malacodendron L. - Silky Camellia

Citation

Citation Stewartia malacodendron Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 698. 1753.
Basionym: **
Type: USA: VIRGINIA: Without data, Clayton 734 (lectotype: LINN 876.1). Lectotypified by Spongberg, J. Arnold Arbor. 55: 194. 1974.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Cavanilla florida Cavanilla florida Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton 385. 1796, nom. illegit.  
Malachodendron monogynum Malachodendron monogynum Dumont de Courset, Bot. Cult., ed. 2. 5: 106. 1811.  
Stewartia virginica Stewartia virginica Cavanilles, Diss. 5: 303, t. 159(2). 1787.  
Stewartia nobilis Stewartia nobilis Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton 386. 1796, nom. illegit.  

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Hale, Houston, Mobile, Monroe, Pike, Shelby, Tuscaloosa

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1868 - 1998

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UWAL0008587 Barbour 01 Oct 2011 Dykes, Bailee
189		 UWAL
Stewartia malacodendron L.
TROY000033538 Barbour 01 Oct 2011 Dykes, Bailee
189		 TROY
Stewartia malacodendron Linnaeus
ALNHS00000599 Bibb 10 May 2011 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#292		 ALNHS
Stewartia malacodendron L.
JSU135634 Blount 22 May 1972 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.		 JSU
Stewartia malacodendron Linnaeus
JSU135637 Blount 22 May 1972 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.		 JSU
Stewartia malacodendron Linnaeus
JSU135635 Blount 22 May 1972 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.		 JSU
Stewartia malacodendron Linnaeus
JSU135636 Blount 22 May 1972 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.		 JSU
Stewartia malacodendron Linnaeus
UNA00058408 Blount 15 May 1998 Keener, Brian R.
792		 UNA
Stewartia malacodendron L.
TROY000024162 Blount 15 May 1998 Keener, Brian R.
792		 TROY
Stewartia malacodendron Linnaeus
UNA00055682 Blount 07 Aug 1999 Keener, Brian R.
1900		 UNA
Stewartia malacodendron L.
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