Sourwood

Sourwood

Taxobox
name = Sourwood


image_width = 240px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Ericales
familia = Ericaceae
genus = "Oxydendrum" DC.
species = "O. arboreum"
binomial = "Oxydendrum arboreum"
binomial_authority = (L.) DC.

Sourwood or Sorrel Tree ("Oxydendrum arboreum") is the sole species in the genus "Oxydendrum DC", in the family Ericaceae. It is native to eastern North America, from southern Pennsylvania south to northwest Florida and west to southern Illinois; it is most common in the lower chain of the Appalachian Mountains. Sourwood is a small tree or large shrub, growing to 10-20 m tall with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter. The leaves are spirally arranged, deciduous, 8-20 cm long and 4-9 cm broad, with a finely serrated margin; they are dark green in summer but turn vivid red in fall. The flowers are white, bell-shaped, 6-9 mm long, produced on 15-25 cm long panicles. The fruit is a small woody capsule. The roots are shallow, and the tree grows best when there is little root competition; it also requires acidic soils for successful growth. The leaves can be chewed (but should not be swallowed) to help alleviate a dry feeling mouth. As the name of the tree implies, the effect is similar to chewing a sour piece of gum.

Description

* Bark: Gray with a reddish tinge, deeply furrowed and scaly. Branchlets at first light yellow green, later reddish brown.
* Wood: Reddish brown, sapwood paler; heavy, hard, close-grained, will take a high polish. Sp. gr., 0.7458, weight of cu. ft., 46.48.
* Winter buds: Axillary, minute, dark red, partly immersed in the bark. Inner scales enlarge when spring growth begins.
* Leaves: Alternate, four to seven inches long, one and a half to two and a half inches wide, oblong to ablanceolate, wedge-shaped at base, serrate, acute or acuminate. Feather-veined, midrib conspicuous. They come out of the bud revolute, bronze green and shining, smooth, when full grown are dark green, shining above, pale and glaucous below. In autumn they turn bright scarlet. Petioles long and slender, stipules wanting. Heavily laden with acid.
* Flowers: June, July. Perfect, cream-white, borne in terminal panicles of secund racemes seven to eight inches long; rachis and short pedicels downy.
* Calyx: Five-parted, persistent; lobes valvate in bud.
* Corolla: Ovoid-cylindric, narrowed at the throat, cream-white, five-toothed.
* Stamens: Ten, inserted on the corolla; filaments wider than the anthers; anthers two-celled; cells opening by long chinks.
* Pistil: Ovary superior, ovoid, five-celled; style columnar; stigma simple; disk ten-toothed, ovules many.
* Fruit: Capsule, downy, five-valved, five-angled, tipped by the persistent style, the pedicels curving.cite book
last =Keeler
first =Harriet L.
title =Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them
publisher =Charles Scriber's Sons
date =1900
location =New York
pages =192-194
]

Cultivation and uses

The Sourwood is perfectly hardy at the north and a worthy ornamental tree in lawns and parks. Its late bloom makes it desirable and its autumnal coloring is particularly beautiful and brilliant. The leaves are heavily charged with acid, and to some extent have the poise of those of the peach.

It is renowned for nectar, and for the honey which is produced from it. Juice from its blooms are used to make sourwood jelly.The shoots were used by the Cherokee and the Catawba to make arrowshafts.

In Appalachian culture

"Sourwood Mountain" is the name of a popular old-time tune in the Appalachian region of the United States. [http://homepage.mac.com/henryqueen1/iblog/C1012311103/E91677265/index.html] [http://www3.clearlight.com/~acsa/introjs.htm?/~acsa/songfile/SOURWOOD.HTM lyrics]

External links

* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/oxar.htm "Oxydendrum arboreum" images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu]

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sourwood — Sour wood , n. (Bot.) The sorrel tree. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sourwood — ☆ sourwood [sour′wood΄ ] n. a North American tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) of the heath family, with thick, fissured bark, small, white flowers, grayish fruit, and sour leaves …   English World dictionary

  • sourwood — Sorrel Sor rel, n. [F. surelle, fr. sur sour, fr. OHG. s?r sour. See {Sour}.] (Bot.) One of various plants having a sour juice; especially, a plant of the genus {Rumex}, as {Rumex Acetosa}, {Rumex Acetosella}, etc. [1913 Webster] {Mountain… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sourwood — krūminis rūgštūnis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Erikinių šeimos dekoratyvinis, medingas augalas (Oxydendrum arboreum), paplitęs Šiaurės Amerikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Oxydendrum arboreum angl. sorreltree; sourwood šaltinis Valstybinės… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • sourwood — noun Date: 1709 a small United States tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) of the heath family with white flowers and sour tasting leaves …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • sourwood — /soweur wood , sow euhr /, n. See sorrel tree. [1700 10; SOUR + WOOD1] * * * ▪ tree also called  sorrel   (species Oxydendrum arboreum), deciduous ornamental tree, of the heath family (Ericaceae), native to southeastern North America. It grows to …   Universalium

  • sourwood — noun a) A North American deciduous shrubby tree, of the genus Oxydendrum, having deep fissures in its bark, and sour tasting leaves b) An Australian tree, of the genus Hibiscus; the sorrel tree …   Wiktionary

  • sourwood — noun a North American tree of the heather family, which has acid tasting leaves. [Oxydendrum arboreum.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • sourwood — sour•wood [[t]ˈsaʊərˌwʊd, ˈsaʊ ər [/t]] n. pln sorrel tree • Etymology: 1700–10 …   From formal English to slang

  • sourwood — noun deciduous shrubby tree of eastern North America having deeply fissured bark and sprays of small fragrant white flowers and sour tasting leaves • Syn: ↑sorrel tree, ↑titi, ↑Oxydendrum arboreum • Hypernyms: ↑angiospermous tree, ↑flowering tree …   Useful english dictionary

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