Nyssa sylvatica Marshall
Black gum, black tupelo, swamp tupelo
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Asteridae A large class that encompasses asters
Order Cornales Includes dogwoods, hydrangeas, stickleafs, tupelos, even sillyberries
Family Nyssaceae Dogwood family, named for Nyssa, tupelo
Genus Nyssa A Greek water nymph; tupelo means roughly “swamp-tree”
Species sylvatica A “woodland habitat”
About plant names...
Black gum is native to eastern North America.
Identification: Black gum trees are 30-80' (9.1-24 m) tall
and 20-30' (6.1-9.1 m) wide. The trunks are 20-39" (50-100 cm) in diameter. Dark gray bark
becomes deeply cracked and scaly in appearance on older trees. Leaves are
approximately oval-shaped, wider toward the end of the leaf, 1¾-4½" (5-12 cm) long. They are
somewhat to very shiny, dark green, and typically smooth-edged.
In the fall, leaves become dark purple or scarlet. Inconspicuous flowers are greenish-white,
though they do have the rather unusual distinction of being polygamo-dioecious, in case you are
keeping track. (This means that trees have mostly either male or female flowers, but a few of the
opposite sex as well, yet another variation in the confusing sexuality of plants.)
Fruits are black or blue in color, about ⅜" (1 cm) long.
Online References:
Nyssa sylvatica on Wikipedia
Nyssa sylvatica on hort.net
Nyssa sylvatica on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database
Nyssa sylvatica at the USDA Forest Service's Silvics of North America site
Nyssa sylvatica at the Ohio State University PLANTFacts database
8/14/2010 · George & Jan’s, Chelmsford, Massachusetts ≈ 24 × 16" (62 × 41 cm)
10/3/2010 · Tarkill Interpretive Trail, Rte 402, Poconos, Peck’s Pond, Pennsylvania ≈ 31 × 46" (78 × 117 cm)
5/14/2012 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts ≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm)
8/14/2010 · George & Jan’s, Chelmsford, Massachusetts ≈ 21 × 31" (52 × 78 cm)
8/14/2010 · George & Jan’s, Chelmsford, Massachusetts ≈ 21 × 31" (52 × 78 cm)
Older scientific names
Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. caroliniana (Poir.) Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. typica Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. caroliniana (Poir.) Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. dilatata Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. typica Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica Marsh. var. caroliniana (Poir.) Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica Marsh. var. dilatata Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica Marsh. var. typica Fernald
Nyssa sylvatica description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts ≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm)
8/14/2010 · George & Jan’s, Chelmsford, Massachusetts ≈ 21 × 16" (53 × 41 cm)
12/12/2020 · By Jacquelyn Boyt
8/14/2010 · George & Jan’s, Chelmsford, Massachusetts ≈ 21 × 16" (52 × 41 cm)
10/3/2010 · Tarkill Interpretive Trail, Rte 402, Poconos, Peck’s Pond, Pennsylvania
9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts ≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)
Range:
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