Fothergilla major

Family:HAMAMELIDACEAE
Species:Fothergilla major (Sims) Sweet
Common Name:Mountain Witch Alder; Large Witch Alder
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Shrub
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Mountain Witch Alder is a native deciduous shrub in the Witch-Hazel family (Hamamelidaceae). It occurs in scattered locations in central and northeast Alabama. Mountain Witch Alder occurs in dry rocky woods, on rocky stream banks, on rocky slopes, and in gorges. It is a small colonial shrub growing from 6-10 feet in height. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and elliptic to orbicular in outline. The leaf margins are sinuate or toothed from about the middle to the apex or are entire. The leaves are stellate pubescent on both surfaces, and the upper surface is sometimes glaucous. The leaves turn red, orange, or yellow before falling in the autumn. Fragrant 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 22-34 stamens with long filaments. The fruit is a capsule. Mountain Witch Alder is available from many nurseries. It requires a well-draining, organically rich soil in full sun or light shade. Best flowering occurs on plants grown in full sun. Mountain Witch Alder is listed as a S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G3 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:**
Status:Native, S2 (State Rank), G3 (Global Rank)
References:**
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 major (Sims) Sweet - Mountain Witch Alder; Large Witch Alder

Citation

Citation Fothergilla major (Sims) Sweet, Bot. Cab. 16: pl. 1520. 1829.
Basionym: Fothergilla alnifolia var. major Sims 1810.
Type: Without data (lectotype: Sims, Bot. Mag.. 33: t. 1342. 1810.) Lectotypified by I.M. Turner, Taxon 65(5): 1130. 2016.

** 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: Autauga, Blount, Cherokee, Cullman, DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall, St. Clair

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

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

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1970 - 1977

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
USAM000007244 Cherokee 10 May 1970 Kral, Robert
39052
USAM
Fothergilla majorĀ (Sims) Loddiges
JSU125491 Cherokee 8 Jul 1969 Ellard, Jerry
s.n.
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
JSU125495 Cherokee 31 May 1968 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
JSU125492 Cherokee 19 Apr 1969 Tudor, Jessica
s.n.
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
UNA00054221 Blount 15 Aug 1998 Keener, Brian R.
1483
UNA
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
UNA00032114 Cherokee 10 May 1970 Kral, Robert
39052
UNA
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
USAM000007243 Cherokee 10 May 1970 Kral, Robert
39052
USAM
Fothergilla majorĀ (Sims) Loddiges
UNA00032129 St. Clair 10 Apr 1977 Bradshaw, Dwight K.
91
UNA
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
JSU125496 Cherokee 1 Jun 1968 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
ALNHS00003934 Blount 5 May 2015 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#1674
ALNHS
Fothergilla major Lodd.
JSU125561 Marshall 15 Apr 1973 Kral, Robert
49636
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
JSU125499 DeKalb 14 Jul 1966 Clark, Ross C.
5023
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
JSU125562 Marshall 10 Apr 1993 Spaulding, Daniel D.
3453
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
JSU125493 Cherokee 9 Apr 1974 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
UWAL0035832 Blount 25 Jul 2014 Anderson, Kelly
611
UWAL
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
JSU125500 Jackson 2 Apr 1999 Brodeur, Kristin R.
1669
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
ALNHS00003129 Blount 5 May 2015 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#1674
ALNHS
Fothergilla major Lodd.
JSU125498 DeKalb 20 Apr 1968 Stuart, Martha
s.n.
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
AUA000043094 Cullman 16 Apr 1924 Wolf, Wolfgang
AUA
Fothergilla Major (Sims) Lodd
UNA00053766 Blount 29 Mar 1998 Keener, Brian R.
92
UNA
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
JSU125497 DeKalb 15 Apr 1967 Richardson, R.B.
s.n.
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
UNA00032119 Autauga _ Jun 1880 Mohr, Charles
s.n.
UNA
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
UWAL0035833 Blount 19 Apr 2015 Anderson, Kelly
829
UWAL
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
JSU125494 Cherokee 8 Jul 1969 Millican, Linda
s.n.
JSU
Fothergilla major (Sims) Loddiges
AUA_ACC_57560 Marshall 15 Apr 1973 Kral, Robert
49636
AUA
Fothergilla Major (Sims) Lodd
UWAL0006125 Blount 20 Apr 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4276
UWAL
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
UNA00032124 Jackson _ Sep 1899 Mohr, Charles
s.n.
UNA
Fothergilla major (Sims) Lodd.
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