10. Viburnum rufidulum Raf. (southern blackhaw, wild raisin)
Map 1446, Pl.
338 e, f
Plants shrubs or
small trees 2–6(–10) m tall. Bark firm, not peeling, relatively smooth to
finely roughened or warty on younger branches, occasionally forming small
plates or furrows on older trunks, gray to grayish brown or purplish gray.
Winter buds oblong-conical, often somewhat flattened, with a pair of scales,
these valvate (the margins touching but not overlapping), densely pubescent
with minute, red to reddish brown, stellate hairs, not sticky. Stipules absent.
Petioles 7–16 mm long, with poorly to moderately well-developed wings 0.2–1.0
mm wide flanking the ventral groove, especially toward the tip, these straight
(not undulate or curled), densely pubescent with microscopic, red to reddish
brown, stellate hairs, sometimes appearing less pubescent late in the season,
lacking prominent glandular swellings near the tip. Leaf blades 1.5–10.0 cm
long, 1.0–6.5 cm wide, unlobed, relatively thick and somewhat leathery,
elliptic to oblong-elliptic or oblong-ovate, rounded to angled or occasionally
short-tapered at the base, rounded or broadly angled to a usually bluntly
pointed tip, rarely contracted to a short-tapered, sharply pointed tip, the
margins finely toothed with the teeth 5–11 per cm, numerous on each side, the
upper surface glabrous or with scattered microscopic, red to reddish brown,
stellate hairs mostly along the midvein, shiny (this sometimes not apparent in
dried specimens), the undersurface moderately to densely pubescent with
scattered microscopic, red to reddish brown, stellate hairs when young, these
becoming more scattered and mostly along the main veins with age, pinnately
veined, the secondary veins evenly spaced, curved or arched toward the tip,
looping and joined with adjacent veins into a network, not reaching the margin.
Inflorescences sessile or short-stalked, with 3 or 4(5) primary branches, these
sparsely pubescent with scattered microscopic, red to reddish brown, stellate
hairs, usually also with scattered longer, branched or tangled hairs, at least
when young, the marginal flowers fertile and similar to the other flowers.
Ovaries glabrous. Fruits 8–18 mm long, ellipsoid, oblong-ovoid, or nearly
spherical, bluish purple to blue or bluish black, glaucous. Nutlet 7–15 mm
long, yellowish brown to dark brown. 2n=18. April–May.
Scattered south
of the Missouri River and in northeastern Missouri (eastern [mostly
southeastern] U.S. west to Kansas and Texas). Bottomland forests, mesic to dry
upland forests, banks of streams, rivers, and spring branches, edges of glades,
and bases and ledges of bluffs; also fencerows, pastures, railroads, and
roadsides.