Leatherwood [Greek mythological Dirce, wife of Lycus who was transformed by Dionysus into a fountain] Leatherwood [Greek mythological Dirce, wife of Lycus who was transformed by Dionysus into a fountain]

Aaron Floden

Lorin I. Nevling Jr.

Shrubs, deciduous, to 3 m. Stems erect, branched, appearing jointed, woody, sericeous or or (3–)4-lobed; petals (absent in D. palustris), included, minute, forming ring at base of staminal filaments; stamens 8, exserted, inserted within calyx; style exserted, elongate; stigma punctiform. Fruits drupaceous, yellow, yellow-green, or green, fleshy, oil-rich, hypanthium not persistent.

Species 4 (3 in the flora): North America, ne Mexico.

Dirca mexicana G. L. Nesom & Mayfield is known from Tamaulipas, Mexico.

SELECTED REFERENCES Peterson, B. J., W. R. Graves, and J. Sharma. 2009. Color of pubescence on bud scales conflicts with keys for identifying species of Dirca (Thymelaeaceae). Rhodora 111: 126–130. Schrader, J. A. and W. R. Graves. 2004. Systematics of Dirca (Thymelaeaceae) based on ITS sequences and ISSR polymorphisms. Sida 21: 511–524. Schrader, J. A. and W. R. Graves. 2005. Seed germination of Dirca (leatherwood); pretreatments and interspecific comparisons. HortScience 40: 1838–1842. Vogelman, H. A. 1953. Comparison of Dirca palustris and Dirca occidentalis (Thymelaeaceae). Asa Gray Bull. 2: 77–82.

Lower Taxa

• Dirca decipiens Floden
• Dirca occidentalis A. Gray
• Dirca palustris Linnaeus