Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_7324.JPG-07-02-2021
Flower name (scientific): Corylus americana Walter PY: 1788. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) kor-EE-lus a-mer-ih-KAY-na
Flower name (common): American Hazelnut
Family name (common): Birch
Family name (scientific): Betulaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Latin for helmet, from the Greek word korylos, or from korys, referencing the covering appearance of hazel's calyx.
    Specific epithet: Of or from America.
Common name origin: Species is native to America (and Canada). The other part of the name denotes the fruit of the hazel tree, genus Corylus.
Flower description:
     Size: 2.0 to 3.0 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm)
     Petal count: 0
     Color: brown for the catkins, red for the female flowers
     Other: flower arrangement, Spike
Plant description:
     Size: 48 to 192 inches (1.2 to 4.9 m)
     Stem hairy: twigs pubescent, hairs glandular.
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple
     Size: Leaves about 5 to 15 cm long and about 4 to 12 cm long.
     Color: upper surface dark green, lower surface lighter green
     Hairy: upper surface sparsely pubescent, lower surface sparsely to moderately pubescent, particularly along veins.
     Other: Shape: leaf, broadly ovate (FNA), oval-ovate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): April to May
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Woods, thickets, savannas, prairies, roadsides, waste areas, shade to sun, dry to moist.
Fruit: Two protective bracts that are green and turn brown at maturity, suround each nut.
Seed: Both yellowish-brown and darker brown, and up to about 15 mm in diameter.
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Corylus cornuta (Beaked Hazelnut) has a resemblance and can be distinguished by the long beak on the husks, a feature absent on the husks for Corylus americana.
Ethnobotany: The Menominee employed the inner bark as a binder with other herbs. Also used as a food source that was stored for winter use (Smith, pp. 26, 63, 1923). The Meskwaki eat the nuts as a food source during the summer and also store them for winter use. They also used the twigs to make brushes (Smith, pp. 256, 267, 1928). The Ojibwe employed the boiled plant to prepare a poultice that was used as a remedy for cuts. They also utilized the hazelnuts as a food source, the fine twigs to make brooms and brushes, and obtained a black dye from the seed hulls (Smith, pp. 359, 397-398, 417, 425, 1932; Gilmore, p. 127, 1933).
Latitude: 44.796830
Longitude: -91.502820
Altitude: 249.10
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (MB, ON, QC) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s): na
Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 13 heterotypic synonyms for this species.
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FACU
Wetland Status (MW): FACU