Lyonia lucida

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Ericaceae
Subfamilia: Vaccinioideae
Tribus: Lyonieae
Genus: Lyonia
Species: Lyonia lucida
Name

Lyonia lucida (Lam.) K.Koch, Dendrologie 2(1): 118 (1872).
Synonyms

Andromeda coriacea Ait.
Andromeda lacustris C.Wright
Andromeda lucida Lam.
Andromeda marginata Duham.
Andromeda mariana Jacq.
Andromeda myrtifolia Salisb.
Andromeda nitida Bartr. ex Marsh.
Desmothamnus lucidus (Lam.) Small
Desmothamnus nitidus (Bartr.) Small
Lyonia marginata (Duham.) D.Don
Lyonia nitida (Bartr. ex Marsh.) Fern.
Neopieris nitida (Bartr. ex Marsh.) Britt.
Pieris lucida (Lam.) Rehder
Pieris nitida (Bartr. ex Marsh.) Benth. & Hook.fil.
Xolisma lucida (Lam.) Rehder

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental:Northern America
Regional: Southeastern USA
USA (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia)
Continental:Southern America
Regional: Caribbean
Cuba

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Koch, K.H.E. 1872–1873. Dendrologie. Bäume, Sträucher und Halbsträucher, welche in Mittel- und Nord-Europa im Freien kultivirt werden. Kritisch beleuchtet von Karl Koch. Zweiter Theil. 424 pp., Erlangen: Ferdinand Enke. BHL Reference page. : 2(1):118.

Links

Hassler, M. 2020. Lyonia lucida. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 25. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Lyonia lucida in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 25. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Lyonia lucida. Published online. Accessed: May 25 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Lyonia lucida. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 25.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Lyonia lucida in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Vernacular names

English: Fetterbush lyonia

Lyonia lucida is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae known by the common names fetterbush lyonia, hurrahbush, and staggerbush. Other plants may also be called fetterbush. This broadleaved evergreen plant grows on the coastal plain of the southeastern United States from Virginia to Florida to Louisiana. It also occurs in Cuba.[1]

This shrub can grow to 4[1] to 5[2] meters in height and just as wide. The plant has long rhizomes that can sprout up new plants, forming a colony. The leathery leaves are alternately arranged on scaly twigs. They are up to 10.5 centimeters long by 5.5 wide and are oval in shape. The inflorescence is a fascicle of cylindrical flowers which are usually pink but may be white or red. The fruit is a capsule.[1][2] The plant mostly reproduces vegetatively, but it also reproduces by seed. In soils poor in nutrients it does not flower and reproduces only by sprouting from the rhizome.[1]

This plant is a common species, growing in shrubby bogs, wet savannas, conifer swamps, and scrub. There are large populations in saw palmetto prairie habitat. It is common in the Okefenokee Swamp. It grows in dry habitat but it is usually found in wet places, including habitat that is periodically flooded. It prefers acidic, saturated soils rich in organic matter, such as those in cypress swamps. It may grow in shady understories but it does well in full sun. Overstory species in the habitat may include Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), sweet bay (Magnolia virginiana), red bay (Persea borbonia), loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus), tupelo (Nyssa spp.) and pines (Pinus spp.). It shares the understory with other plants such as sweetbells (Eubotrys racemosa), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), sweet pepperbush (Clethera alnifolia), titi (Cyrilla racemiflora), laurelleaf greenbrier (Smilax laurifolia), honeycup (Zenobia pulverulenta), and oaks (Quercus spp.).[1]

Lyonia lucida in fruit with capsules

References

Van Deelen, Timothy R. 1991. Lyonia lucida. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
Lyonia lucida. Flora of North America.