Sour Gum or Black Gum

1. Sour Gum or Black Gum Nyssasylvatica Marsh

2. Kingdom-Plantae (plant) • Subkingdom-Trachebionta (vascular) • Superdivision-Spermatophya (seed) • Division-Magnoliophyta (flowering) • Class-Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) • Subclass-Rosidae • Order-Cornales • Family-Cornaceae (dogwood) • Genus-Nyssa L. (tupelo) • Species-N. sylvatica (black gum) • Name- Nyssa sylvatica Marsh

3. Shape, Form, Type Slow growing, deciduous tree in low wet lands. 30’ to 50’ tall. 20’ to 30’ wide. Pyramid looking in youth. Some horizontal branches have little support. fig. 1 fig. 2

4. Bark Dark grayish brown in color. Block-like ridges occurring on the bark. fig. 3 fig. 4

5. Twig Young twigs are reddish brown but become light gray by the second growing season. Branches grow many twigs as they get older an get more spur shoots. fig. 5

6. Leaf Alternate leaf arrangement. Simple, oval shaped leaves. 3” to 6” long. 1.5” to 3” wide. In summer the foliage is dark green. In autumn leaves change from yellow or orange to red or purple. fig. 6 fig. 7

7. Bud Buds are superposed or terminal. Can be brown, red, or a mixture of the two. 3-6 mm long. Oval shaped, either blunt or sharp. fig. 8

8. Flower The tree flowers between March thru June. Small, greenish white flowers that can be male, female, or both. fig. 9

9. Fruit The fruit ripens in late September. The fruit comes from female trees only. Bluish-black and about half an inch long. Eaten by birds and squirrels. fig. 10

10. Habitat and Range Native to the Northeast US down to Florida, as far west as Texas. North to one province of Canada. Found in bogs, marshes, and wetlands in low or high areas. fig. 11

11. Uses The Sour Gum is commonly used as a shade tree or appreciated for its fall foliage. Its flowers aren’t especially ornamental. They are fire resistant. fig. 12

12. Resources All references found June 21, 2010 Figure reference fig. 1-Tree. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/images/low/A670-0628056cs.jpg fig. 2-Black and white tree. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=nysy_011_avp.tif fig. 3-Tree bark. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/n/nyssyl/nyssyl1.html fig. 4-Tree trunk. (2001). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NyssaSylvaticaTrunk.jpg fig. 5-Twig. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.discoverlife.org/IM/I_SB/0151/320/Nyssa_sylvatica, fig. 6-Leaf. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/n/nyssyl/nyssyl1.html fig. 7-Leaves. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cirrusimage.com/Trees/sour_gum_1.jpg fig. 8-Bud. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.discoverlife.org/IM/I_SB/0151/320/Nyssa_sylvatica, fig. 9-Flower. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/n/nyssyl/nyssyl1.html fig. 10-Fruit. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/n/nyssyl/nyssyl1.html fig. 11-Map. (2010, May 19). Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=NYSY&photoID=nysy_011_avp.tif fig. 12-Leaves. (2005, March 15). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nyssa_sylvatica2.jpg

13. All works referenced found on June 21, 2010 Works refenced -Missouri botanical garden. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=A670 -Evans, Erv. (n.d.). Nc state university. Retrieved from http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/nyssa_sylvatica.html -Nyssa sylvatica. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://plantfacts.osu.edu/pdf/0247-785.pdf -Uconn plant database. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/n/nyssyl/nyssyl1.html -Usda plant profile. (2005, may 15). Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=NYSY