Entry From
Flora of North America, Vol 8,
Names
Cyrilla racemiflora Linnaeus [family CYRILLACEAE], Syst. Nat. ed., 12, 2: 182. 1767
Cyrilla arida Small [family CYRILLACEAE], Mant. Pl., 1: 50. 1767 ,
Cyrilla parvifolia Rafinesque [family CYRILLACEAE]
Cyrilla racemiflora var. subglobosa Fernald [family CYRILLACEAE]
Discussion
Populations of Cyrilla racemiflora in northern Florida and southern Georgia often comprise individuals with smaller leaves (1–4 × 0.5–1 cm), inflorescences (4–9 cm), and petals (to 3 mm), and have been segregated by some authors as C. parvifolia (A. S. Weakley 2007). As noted by R. K. Godfrey and J. W. Wooten (1981) and other authors, this combination of characters represents but one extreme of a pattern of morphological intergradation so broad that only a single species can be recognized unequivocally.
Reproduction in Cyrilla racemiflora is largely vegetative. The shallow, nearly horizontal roots produce ascending shoots giving rise to extensive clones that often form dense thickets and may cover a sizeable area. The species is sometimes planted and has escaped locally, as in Delaware.
