Myrica hartwegii
Encyclopedia
Myrica hartwegii is a species of shrub
in the bayberry family
known by the common name Sierra sweetbay, or Sierra bayberry. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California
, where it grows in moist areas, such as streambanks, in the foothills and lower slopes up to a maximum elevation of 1500 to 1800 meters. This deciduous
shrub grows one to two meters tall with purple-black branches and twigs studded with yellowish resin glands. The leaves are widely lance-shaped to oval with blunt tips. They are up to about 10 centimeters long and about 3 wide, and they are usually edged with a few shallow teeth. They have scattered hairs and are densely coated in resin glands. The male and female flowers are arranged in separate spikelike inflorescence
s. The spherical, slightly waxy fruit is just under 2 millimeters wide and is dotted with glands.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
in the bayberry family
Myricaceae
The Myricaceae is a small family of dicotyledonous shrubs and small trees in the order Fagales. There are three genera in the family, although some botanists separate many species from Myrica into a fourth genus Morella...
known by the common name Sierra sweetbay, or Sierra bayberry. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in moist areas, such as streambanks, in the foothills and lower slopes up to a maximum elevation of 1500 to 1800 meters. This deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
shrub grows one to two meters tall with purple-black branches and twigs studded with yellowish resin glands. The leaves are widely lance-shaped to oval with blunt tips. They are up to about 10 centimeters long and about 3 wide, and they are usually edged with a few shallow teeth. They have scattered hairs and are densely coated in resin glands. The male and female flowers are arranged in separate spikelike inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s. The spherical, slightly waxy fruit is just under 2 millimeters wide and is dotted with glands.