Kingdom Plantae Family Garryaceae Rank Species | Order Garryales Genus Garrya | |
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Similar Garrya, Garrya wrightii, Garryaceae, Garrya congdonii, Garrya buxifolia | ||
Garrya ovata, with the common names eggleaf silktassel, Mexican silktassel, and eggleaf garrya, is a plant species native to New Mexico, Texas, and to central and northern Mexico.
Contents
The plant usually found as an understory species in moist forests, such as Madrean pine-oak woodlands.
Description
Garrya ovata is a shrub up to 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 m) tall and wide. The leaves are thick and leathery, ovate, up to 10 cm (4 in) long, tomentose on both sides when young, at maturity glabrous above but tomentose below.
Flowers are arranged in pendulous (hanging) racemes, and are green. It blooms in March through May.
Fruits are dark blue, spherical, up to 8 mm (0.31 in) in diameter.
Subspecies
Three subspecies are currently recognized, regarded by some authors as separate species:
Of the three, only Garrya ovata subsp. lindheimeri' is found within the United States.
