Gulf sebastian-bush Gulf sebastian-bush

Stillingia fruticosa W. Bartram, Travels Carolina, 476. 1791 (as fructicosa); Gymnanthes ligustrina (Michaux) Müller Arg.; Sebastiania fruticosa (W. Bartram) Fernald; Sebastiania ligustrina (Michaux) Müller Arg.; Stillingia ligustrina Michaux

Shrubs, 1–3 m. Leaves: stipules subulate to triangular, 1–2 × 0.5 mm; petiole 0.2–1 cm, minutely puberulent on adaxial ridges confluent with margins; blade ovate to lanceolate, 2–8 × 1–3 cm, base cuneate, margins minutely puberulent, apex acute; laminar glands 0–5, elliptic, 0.3 × 0.2 mm. Inflorescences: peduncle 0.3–2.5 cm; fertile part 1–4 cm; flowers 1 per bract; pistillate flowers 0–4; bracts ovate, 0.7–1 mm, subtended by 2, reniform, stipitate glands 0.6–1.3 × 0.5 mm. Pedicels: staminate 0.5–2 mm; pistillate 0.3–1.5 mm, to 6 mm in fruit. Staminate flowers yellowish green; sepals ovate, 0.5–0.7 mm, margin erose, ciliate; stamens yellow; filaments 0.2–0.4 mm; anthers 0.5 mm. Pistillate flowers yellowish green; sepals ovate, 1–1.5 mm, margin erose, ciliate; ovary 1.5–2 mm diam.; styles 2–2.7 mm, connate 0.5–0.7 mm, distally recurved. Capsules subglobose, 0.5–1 cm diam. Seeds 4–5 mm; seed coat brown with silver mottling, smooth; caruncle discoid, 2 mm diam.

Flowering Apr–Jun; fruiting Jul–Oct. Hardwood forests, especially wet or moist, shaded stream banks, floodplains, adjacent wooded slopes; 0–100 m; Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tex.