Flower ID: IMG_7140.JPG-06-25-2021 Flower name (scientific): Ostrya virginiana (Miller) K. Koch PY: 1873. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) OSS-tree-uh vir-jin-ee-AN-uh Flower name (common): Ironwood Family name (common): Birch Family name (scientific): Betulaceae Scientific name origin: Genus: From the Greek οστρυς, a name used for a tree with hard wood. Specific epithet: Of or from Virginia. Common name origin: Used to denote trees yield hard and heavy wood. The name has been in use for nearly four hundred years. Flower description: Size: 0.5 to 2.0 inches (1.3 to 5.1 cm) Petal count: 0 Color: brown or green Other: flower arrangement, None Plant description: Size: 240 to 660 inches (6 to 17 m) Stem hairy: Other: Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple Size: Leaves up to 10 to 13 cm long and 5 to 6 cm wide. Color: Hairy: Other: Shape: leaf, narrowly ovate or elliptic to oblong-lanceolate (FNA), ovate (IL) Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common Bloom time (typical): April to May Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial Habitat: Woods, hardwood forests, sun to shade, dry to mesic. Fruit: Seed: Importance to wildlife: Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes, particularly when fruiting. Ethnobotany: The Chippewa used the plant as a cough remedy, for kidney trouble, and for rheumatism (Densmore, pp. 340, 346, 362, 1928). The Potawatomi used the bark to treat cramps and an infusion of the bark was employed to treat flux (Smith, p. 39, 1933). The Cherokee, Delaware, and Iroquois also used this plant to treat various ailments (Moerman, p. 373, 1998). Latitude: 44.799923 Longitude: -91.507030 Altitude: 245.20 Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, 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, FL, 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, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY) In Canada: (MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC) References: Synonym(s): Basionym: Carpinus virginiana Miller Gard. Dict. ed. 8, Carpinus no. 4. 1768. Homotypic Synonym(s): Heterotypic Synonym(s): Autonym:Ostrya virginiana subsp. virginiana (The other infraspecific is Ostrya virginiana subsp. guatemalensis (Hubert J. P. Winkler) A. E. Murray which is native to Mexico and Central America.)