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A Haw Lost and Found:
The Disappearance of Harbison Hawthorn (Crataegus harbisonii Beadle) Hawthorns have been, well, a thorn in the side of taxonomists for some time. In Eastern North America, this group is very diverse. The reproductive biology of hawthorns allows for rampant hybridization, as well as the perpetuation of distinctive individuals through a process called apomixis, in which…
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American black cherry: A species of many forms
Philip Crim 1-25-23 The genus Prunus is one of the most important groups of woody agricultural plants in the world. Prunus is best known from encompassing the familiar stone fruits: cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, and almonds, but it is also home to more obscure groups such as the Maddencherries, a small clade of poorly-known Asian…
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Your favorite Shrub is Arrowwood? Cool. Which one?
Philip Crim 1-18-2023 Understanding the relationships within the genus Viburnum has always been a challenge for scientists. Widespread, it occurs from the tropics to the far north in both the eastern and western hemispheres. This wide range has resulted in an extraordinary amount of diversity within the genus, and approximately 200 species are currently recognized.…
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Dipentodon: Dinosaur or flora obscura?
Philip Crim 1-4-2023 Back in 2010 as I was poring over the freshly-published New Trees tome, I came across the bizarre profile of an unfamiliar tree. In this groundbreaking work, which is now available entirely online at treesandshrubs.com, I was introduced to an absolute wealth of taxa that were new to me. For some reason,…
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Ignoble inkberry: an unassuming native landscape staple
Philip Crim 12-28-2022 Some plants are so ubiquitous and unassuming that we can see them almost every day without taking a moment to understand and appreciate them. Inkberry, Ilex glabra (L.) Gray, is one such species. A species of holly, it is valuable as a cold-hardy broadleaf evergreen, and the small stature and form of…
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“Blue-beech”: An overlooked native species finally going mainstream
Philip Crim 12-14-2022 The American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana Walter) is very common across much of Eastern North America, preferring wetland margins and floodplains from the Atlantic coast to the Great Plains. With such a large native range, the species has accumulated a large number of common names such as the most widely-used “hornbeam” as well…
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The Curious Case of the CNY Coffeetrees
Philip Crim 12-7-2022 Species interactions can be a major factor driving natural selection, and these relationships often present themselves in the appearance and function of both plants and animals. Whether it be attractive fruits to draw animals to aid in dispersal, or thorns to repel herbivory, these features can have a big impact on the…