Bayberries In Eastern And Northern States
One hesitates to go into the different kinds of bayberries, at least in the eastern states, and to particularize on scientific names, because long-accepted names have been subjected to sweeping changes in recent years. Myrica californica, the tall and often tree-like shrub with waxy purplish berries, native from California to Washington, is not under this shadow of confusion, nor is the similarly tall and narrow-leaved Wax-myrtle (Myrica cerifera) which grows wild from Cape May in New Jersey to Florida and Texas.
The most familiar of the group is Myrica caroliniensis. In many books and catalogues this is represented as the Northern Bayberry. For all practical purposes, this is entirely adequate and the plants can be purchased with confidence. It must be admitted, however, that this name is proven to be a synonym of Myrica cerifera and should be given up as the scientific name of the northern species.
As a matter of fact, the broader-leaved bayberries are now set forth as two distinct species, Myrica heterophylla and Myrica pensylvanica. With branchlets of both kinds in front of one, it is possible to follow the botanical distinctions without much trouble. A brief tabulation will sum them up :
Myrica heterophylla (Evergreen Bayberry). Leaves more than ⅝ inch wide : Bark, dark or blackish; leaves, lustrous above, persisting through the winter; berries, without hairs when young, not more than ⅛ inch across when mature.
Myrica pensylvanica (Northern Bayberry). Bark, light gray; leaves, dull above, falling late in autumn ; berries, densely hairy when young, slightly more than ⅛ inch across when mature.
Except for the more or less evergreen character of M. heterophylla, the specific differences are of minor importance from a horticultural point of view. Evergreen Bayberry stands below zero weather without damage, and Northern Bayberry is even hardier, as its natural range extends from North Carolina to Newfoundland and inland as far as Ohio. It is interesting to note that the authority for the scientific name of the latter species, the French botanist Loiseleur-Deslongchamps, was a meticulous scholar, and in latinizing the name to mean “of Pennsylvania,” he removed an “n” to comply with the classical rules against a double letter.
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