Persistence is the retention of plant organs, such as flowers, seeds, or leaves, after their normal function has been completed, in contrast with the shedding of deciduous organs after their purpose has been fulfilled. [1] Absence or presence of persistent plant organs can be a helpful clue in plant identification, and may be one of many types of anatomical details noted in the species descriptions or dichotomous keys of plant identification guides. [2] Many species of woody plants with persistent fruit provide an important food source for birds and other wildlife in winter. [3]
The terms persistent and deciduous are not used in a consistent manner by botanists. Related terms such as long-persistent, generally deciduous, and caducous suggest that some plant parts are more persistent than others. However, these terms lack clear definitions. [4]
There are numerous herbaceous and woody plant species that produce persistent parts such as bud scales, sepals ( calyx ), fronds, fruits, seeds, strobili (cones) or styles. Note that the trait of persistence exhibited by a given species within a genus may not be exhibited by all species within the genus. For example, the Equisetum genus includes some species that have persistent strobili while other species have deciduous strobili. [5]
Species | Persistent part |
---|---|
Berberis bealei (leatherleaf mahonia) [6] | bud scales |
Berberis swaseyi (Texas barberry) [7] | bud scales |
Berberis trifoliolata (agarita) [7] | bud scales |
Hamamelis virginiana (common witch-hazel) [6] | calyx |
Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern) [6] | frond |
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) [6] | frond |
Aronia arbutifolia (red chokeberry) [3] [8] | fruit |
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry) [9] | fruit |
Cephalanthus occidentalis (buttonbush) [6] | fruit |
Chimaphila umbellata (umbellate wintergreen) [10] | fruit |
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush) [6] | fruit |
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood) [11] | fruit |
Cotoneaster apiculatus (cranberry cotoneaster) [8] | fruit |
Crataegus phaenopyrum (Washington hawthorn) [3] [8] | fruit |
Hamamelis virginiana (common witch-hazel) [10] | fruit |
Ilex verticillata (winterberry) [3] [6] [8] [10] | fruit |
Malus coronaria (sweet crabapple) [6] | fruit |
Malus sargentii (Sargent crabapple) [12] | fruit |
Orthilia secunda (one-sided wintergreen)[ citation needed ] | fruit |
Oxydendrum arboreum (sourwood) [6] | fruit |
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac) [8] | fruit |
Allium tricoccum (ramp)[ citation needed ] | seed |
Equisetum arvense (common horsetail) [13] | strobilus |
Larix occidentalis (western larch) [14] | strobilus |
Picea mariana (black spruce) [15] | strobilus |
Pinus banksiana (Jack pine) [15] | strobilus |
Clematis terniflora (sweet autumn clematis) [6] | style |
Orthilia secunda (one-sided wintergreen)[ citation needed ] | style |
Common witch-hazel ( Hamamelis virginiana ) may have a persistent calyx or a persistent fruit (or both at the same time). After flowering in the fall, [16] the sepals (calyx) and pollinated ovary persist during the winter months. [6] After the ovary is fertilized in the spring, it fuses with the calyx to form a greenish fruit, which eventually becomes woody and brown. [17] In the fall, the ripe fruit suddenly splits, explosively dispersing black seeds up to 10 m (33 ft). The empty capsule persists after the seeds are dispersed. [10]
The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros. The most widely cultivated of these is the kaki persimmon, Diospyros kaki – Diospyros is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-persimmon species of the genus are grown for ebony timber. In 2019, China produced 75% of the world total of persimmons.
Witch-hazels or witch hazels (Hamamelis) are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America, and one each in Japan (H. japonica) and China (H. mollis). The North American species are occasionally called winterbloom.
Rubus spectabilis, the salmonberry, is a species of bramble in the rose family Rosaceae, native to the west coast of North America from west-central Alaska to California, inland as far as Idaho. Like many other species in the genus Rubus, the salmonberry plant bears edible fruit, typically yellow-orange or red in color, resembling raspberries in appearance.
Magnolia virginiana, most commonly known as sweetbay magnolia, or merely sweetbay, is a member of the magnolia family, Magnoliaceae. It was the first magnolia to be scientifically described under modern rules of botanical nomenclature, and is the type species of the genus Magnolia; as Magnolia is also the type genus of all flowering plants (magnoliophytes), this species in a sense typifies all flowering plants.
Pinus virginiana, the Virginia pine, scrub pine, Jersey pine, possum pine, is a medium-sized tree, often found on poorer soils from Long Island in southern New York south through the Appalachian Mountains to western Tennessee and Alabama. The usual size range for this pine is 9–18 m, but can grow larger under optimum conditions. The trunk can be as large as 20 inches diameter. This tree prefers well-drained loam or clay, but will also grow on very poor, sandy soil, where it remains small and stunted. The typical life span is 65 to 90 years.
Berberis, commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ft) tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world. Species diversity is greatest in South America and Asia; Europe, Africa and North America have native species as well. The best-known Berberis species is the European barberry, Berberis vulgaris, which is common in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia, and has been widely introduced in North America. Many of the species have spines on the shoots and all along the margins of the leaves.
Diospyros virginiana is a persimmon species commonly called the American persimmon, common persimmon, eastern persimmon, simmon, possumwood, possum apples, or sugar plum. It ranges from southern Connecticut to Florida, and west to Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa. The tree grows wild but has been cultivated for its fruit and wood since prehistoric times by Native Americans.
The George Landis Arboretum is a public garden comprising hundreds of acres of which 40 are devoted to noteworthy collections and gardens overlooking the Schoharie Valley near Esperance, New York, United States. The physical address is 174 Lape Road. Forty acres of the Arboretum are developed with plantings of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials from around the world, including approximately 2,000 labeled specimens. The remainder of the property consists of natural areas, woodlands, wetlands, more than 8 miles of trails, and open fields. Among the Arboretum's horticultural features are a labeled collection of nearly all the trees, shrubs and vines native to New York State, as well as collections of notable trees, flowering ornamental trees and shrubs, tough trees for tough sites, conifers, and oaks. Two old growth forests and additional natural areas representing various stages of succession await visitors The Van Loveland Perennial Garden at the old farmhouse is a seasonal favorite. Collection signage includes QR codes directed toward audio descriptions.
Prunus serotina, commonly called black cherry, wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a deciduous tree or shrub of the genus Prunus. Despite being called black cherry, it is not very closely related to the commonly cultivated cherries such as sweet cherry, sour cherry and Japanese flowering cherries which belong to Prunus subg. Cerasus. Instead, P. serotina belongs to Prunus subg. Padus, a subgenus also including Eurasian bird cherry and chokecherry. The species is widespread and common in North America and South America.
Berberis nervosa, commonly known as dwarf Oregon-grape, Cascade barberry, Cascade Oregon-grape, or dull Oregon-grape, is a flowering plant native to the northwest coast of North America from southern British Columbia south to central California, with an isolated population inland in northern Idaho. It is especially common in second growth, Douglas-fir or western redcedar forests, making use of those pools of sunlight that intermittently reach the ground.
Berberis thunbergii, the Japanese barberry, Thunberg's barberry, or red barberry, is a species of flowering plant in the barberry family Berberidaceae, native to Japan and eastern Asia, though widely naturalized in China and North America, where it has become a problematic invasive in many places, leading to declines in species diversity, increased tick habitat, and soil changes. Growing to 1 m tall by 2.5 m broad, it is a small deciduous shrub with green leaves turning red in the autumn, brilliant red fruits in autumn and pale yellow flowers in spring.
Tellima grandiflora, the bigflower tellima or fringecups, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Saxifragaceae. It is the only species in the genus Tellima.
A strobilus is a structure present on many land plant species consisting of sporangia-bearing structures densely aggregated along a stem. Strobili are often called cones, but some botanists restrict the use of the term cone to the woody seed strobili of conifers. Strobili are characterized by a central axis surrounded by spirally arranged or decussate structures that may be modified leaves or modified stems.
Hamamelis virginiana, known as witch-hazel, common witch-hazel, American witch-hazel and beadwood, is a species of flowering shrub native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, and south to central Florida to eastern Texas.
Hamamelis vernalis, the Ozark witchhazel is a species of flowering plant in the witch-hazel family Hamamelidaceae, native to the Ozark Plateau in central North America, in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. It is a large deciduous shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall.
Hamamelis mollis, also known as Chinese witch hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the witch hazel family Hamamelidaceae, native to central and eastern China, in Anhui, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, and Zhejiang.
Equisetum hyemale is a perennial herbaceous fern in the horsetail family Equisetaceae. It is a native plant throughout the Holarctic Kingdom, found in North America, Europe, and northern Asia.
Berberis laurina is a spiny and woody, (semi-)evergreen shrub belonging to the barberries in the family Berberidaceae. It may grow to up to 2½ m high. The leaves are bluish green, and may turn yellow or red during autumn and winter. It has drooping racemes of light yellow flowers. The species is endemic to Uruguay, southern Brazil and Argentina. The local name in Uruguay is espina amarilla, while it is called espinho-de-judeu in Brasil.
Castilleja hispida is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae, also known by the common name harsh paintbrush, or harsh Indian paintbrush. It is native to British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.