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Celastrus scandens
American Bittersweet
Technical Page
by Steven Clemants
Not peer reviewed
Last modified: 07/19/2006
Nomenclature
Celastrus scandens L., Sp. Pl. 196. 1753. Euonymoides scandens Medic., Philos. Bot. 1: 173. 1789. TYPE: Unknown.
Celastrus bullata L., Sp. Pl. 196. 1753. TYPE: Unknown.
Description
PLANTS perennial, deciduous, phanerophytic or liana, shrubs or woody vines, monoclinous.
STEMS climbing, round. Prickles absent. Bark striate, not exfoliating, dark brown or brown. Branches horizontal. Twigs light gray, not odoriferous, round, 2-3 mm in diam., smooth, glabrous, without glands. Pith present, white, round, continuous, nodal diaphram absent. Thorns absent. Aerial roots absent. Sap translucent. Resin absent.
BUDS axillary only, scattered along stem, 1 per axil, ovoid, 1 mm long, pointed. Bud scales 4, orange, imbricate, broadly ovoid, membranaceous, acute, papillose, without glands. Bud scale scars not encircling the stem. Leaf scars U-shape or circular, 0.9-1 mm high, 1.1-1.2 mm wide. Vascular bundle scars 1, crescent-shaped, 0.2-0.3 mm tall.
LEAVES alternate, spiral, 1 per node, spaced somewhat evenly along stem, divergent from stem, simple. Stipules present, lateral, deciduous, free from the petiole, filiform, margins pectinate. Leaves petiolate, petiole terete, 0.5-2.5 cm long, glabrous. Without glands. Leaf blades greenish-yellow, elliptic or obovate, plane, bilaterally symmetric, 4.3-12 cm long, 2.7-5.5 cm wide, membranaceous, base cuneate or obtuse, margin crenate-serrate, apex acuminate or acute, glandular-mucronate, glabrous, without glands, veination eucamptodromous, veins 4-6 pairs. Spines absent. Tendrils absent.
INFLORESCENCES bisexual, simple or compound, raceme or panicle, terminal. Peduncle present, 5 cm long. Rachis present, 1.5-4 cm long. Bracts sessile, dark greenish-yellow, linear, involute, 1.2-5.8 mm long, 0.1-0.6 mm wide, base truncate, margin erose, apex acute, glabrous, without glands. Pedicel 1-3.5 mm long, glabrous, without glands. Bracteoles not seen.
FLOWERS serotinous, formed on the current season's growth, bisexual or unisexual, with sepals and petals readily distinguishable from one another, 5-merous, 3.3-3.5 mm long, 3.7-5 mm wide, 14-44 flowers per inflorescence, perianth of 2 whorls. Calyx present, actinomorphic, campanulate, of fused sepals, deciduous, greenish-yellow, 2.2-2.5 mm long, 3-5.2 mm wide, tube 1.3-1.5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, calyx limb 10 mm long, 3-5 mm wide. Sepals or sepal lobes 5, very widely ovate to depressed-ovate, 0.7-1 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, base truncate, margin erose, apex obtuse, abaxial surface glabrous, without glands. Epicalyx absent. Corolla present, actinomorphic, campanulate, of free petals, deciduous, yellowish-green. Petals or petal lobes 5, elliptic, 1.8-2.4(-4) mm long, 1-1.2 mm wide, base truncate, margin entire, apex obtuse, glabrous, glands absent. Gynoecium syncarpous. Carpels 3. Locules 3. Stigmas 1, capitate. Styles 1, not persistent, 1.3 mm long. Ovary superior, glabrous, absent, nectiferous disk present. Placentation basal. Androecium alternate, exserted, haplostemous, introrse. Stamens 5, 1-2.5 mm long. (Shorter stamens are in male-sterile flowers). Anthers ovoid, opening along the long axis, opening entire length of anther, bithecal/tetrasporangiate, light red, glabrous. Filaments straight, white, glabrous. Staminodes absent.
FRUITS light orange-yellow to orange-yellow, globose capsules, 6-12 mm long, 7-10 mm wide, glabrous, without glands.
SEEDS 3-6, light orange, ellipsoid or plano-convex, 3.5-4.5 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide, glabrous, without glands, wingless, not tailed, smooth, with a bright red aril surrounding the seeds.
Habitat
Woods (sugar maple, beech, oak-maple). Edges of fields, woods, thickets. Swamps and damp woods.
Distribution
United States: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY
Canada: MB, ON, QC
NYMF NATIVE: Occasional but declining in the metro area.
Rarity Status
Heritage Global Rank -- Unknown.
Connecticut -- Not listed.
New Jersey -- Not listed.
New York -- Not listed.
Species Biology
Melittophilous: Principally pollinated by bees.
Endozoochory -- Distributed by Birds.
Prechilling Required -- Seeds stratified for 90 days at 5º C. then planted in soil maintained at 20-25º, yielded 71% viability.