Fothergilla milleri

Family:HAMAMELIDACEAE
Species:Fothergilla milleri W.D. Philli. & J.E. Haynes
Common Name:Miller's Witch Alder
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Shrub
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Miller's Witch Alder is a native deciduous shrub in the Witch-Hazel family (Hamamelidaceae). It occurs in scattered locations throughout Alabama. Coastal Witch Alder occurs in bogs, seeps, and along streams in acidic soils. It is a small colonial shrub growing from 1-4 feet in height. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and elliptic to oblong in outline. The leaf margins are toothed from about the middle to the apex or are entire. The leaves are stellate pubescent on both surfaces, and the upper surface is glaucous. The leaves turn red, orange, or yellow before falling in the autumn. Flowers are produced in dense terminal spikes before or with the leaves. The calyx in cup shaped with 5-7 small lobes. Petals are absent. Each flower has 12-24 stamens with long filaments. The fruit is a capsule. Miller's Witch Alder is available from many nurseries. It requires a moist, acidic, organically rich soil in full sun or light shade. Best flowering occurs on plants grown in full sun, but plants will need heavy mulching and frequent watering during the summer. Miller's Witch Alder is listed as a S1 species in Alabama (typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G3/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). --A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:Populations of Fothergilla milleri were long thought to be part of Fothergilla gardenii. Molecular work and reexamination of the morphology revealed the Alabama populations represent a distinct species. Fothergilla milleri occurs in W Florida, S. Alabama and at least one population in GA (Haynes et al 2020). Specimens listed below at F. gardenii should be reassessed at each herbarium and annotated accordingly.
Status:Native, FACW (NWI), S1 (State Rank), G3G4 (Global Rank)
References:Haynes, J.E., W.D. Phillips, A. Krings, N.P. Lynch, & T.G. Ranney. 2020. Revision of Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae) including the resurrection of F. parviflora and a new species, F. milleri. PhytoKeys 144:57-80.
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyHAMAMELIDACEAE - Witch-Hazel family
Genus Fothergilla
Species Fothergilla milleri W.D. Philli. & J.E. Haynes - Miller's Witch Alder

Citation

Citation Fothergilla milleri W.D. Phillips & J.E. Haynes, Phytokeys 144: 74. 2020.
Basionym: **
Type: USA: FLORIDA: Walton Co.: Voucher specimen from containerized plant at Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, Mills River, NC. N. Lynch #70 (holotype: NCSC).

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

No synonyms exist for this species.

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: Baldwin, Cullman, Escambia, Geneva, Lauderdale

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

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

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UNA00032198 Cullman _ Apr 1892 Mohr, Mary
s.n.
UNA
Fothergilla gardenii L.
UWAL0017606 Geneva 11 Apr 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
26164
UWAL
Fothergilla milleri W.D. Philli. & J.E. Haynes
UNA00060741 Baldwin 19 Apr 2001 Schotz, Alfred
1830
UNA
Fothergilla gardenii L.
AUA_ACC_25649 Escambia 11 Apr 1964 Kral, Robert
19698
AUA
Fothergilla Gardenii L.
TROY000042051 Geneva 11 Apr 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
26164
TROY
Fothergilla gardenii Murray
ALNHS00004007 Baldwin 24 Feb 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#2212
ALNHS
Fothergilla gardenii L.
UWAL0044360 Baldwin 10 Apr 2003 Larsen, Harry S.
1173
UWAL
Fothergilla milleri W.D. Philli. & J.E. Haynes
UWAL0019001 Geneva 29 Mar 1981 Kral, Robert
66778
UWAL
Fothergilla milleri W.D. Philli. & J.E. Haynes
UWAL0047114 Baldwin 19 Apr 2001 Schotz, Alfred
1830
UWAL
Fothergilla milleri W.D. Philli. & J.E. Haynes
TROY000034522 Geneva 26 Apr 1969 Kral, Robert
34524
TROY
Fothergilla gardenii Murray
UWAL0005834 Geneva 26 Apr 1969 Kral, Robert
34524
UWAL
Fothergilla milleri W.D. Philli. & J.E. Haynes
UNA00032193 Lauderdale s.d. Wilson, M.C.
s.n.
UNA
Fothergilla gardenii L.
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