Georgia Plume (Elliottia racemosa)
Georgia Plume is also known as Southern Plume.
Plant Type: This is a shrub
which can reach a height of 10 Meters (33 feet ) .
Leaves: The leaves are alternate.
Leaves can reach 10cm in length (4inches). Leaves can be as wide as 4 cm (1.5inches). Each leaf is elliptic and entire. There is a tiny bristle at the tip and may be soft
hairy on the underside.
Flowers: The flowers have 4 Regular Parts (sometimes five) and are
up to 2.5cm wide (1 inches). They are white. Blooms first appear in early summer and continue into mid summer. The
erect flower clusters are at the ends of branches and may be racemes or panicles up to 30cm (12") long. There is a long style.
Fruit: A capsule up to 12mm (0.5")
in diameter opening along four or five lines containing about forty flat seeds with winged edges.
Light gray, smooth when young becoming furrowed.
Habitat: Moist stream banks to dry
ridges, usually in sandy soil.
Range: South-central and eastern Georgia on the Coastal Plain to an
elevation of 120m (400'). Once know from a site in South Carolina (collected in 1853). Rare though locally abundant it may
also occur in cultivation.
Color Photo More Info
Ads on this page help pay for this site but if you see one that
seems inappropriate here such as one that is counter to the pro environmental theme please let me know which Ad and I
will block it.
Report a Bad Ad
Named for the South Carolina botanist Stephen Elliott who is credited
with discovering the species about 1808, this rarest of shrubs was first collected by the famous early American naturalist
William Bartram in 1773 near the Savannah River in Georgia. It is currently known from only a few dozen sites in Georgia.
Close genetic relationship between plants in a population may limit the production of seed. The species does reproduce
vegetatively. It is listed as 'Threatened' by Georgia but has no Federal status.(Protected Plants of
There is only one other species of Elliottia in North America, Copperbush (Elliottia pyroliflorus) which is found
in the Northwest from Oregon to Alaska.
By: Newcomb, Lawrence and Illustrated by Morrison, Gordon. 1977, Little, Brown and Company, ISBN:0-316-60442-9
One of the best general guides to wildflowers of the North Eastern and North Central United States. Newcomb's key
is an excellent, simple method for identifying plants. Newcomb has drawings for almost every plant mentioned that
are excellent aids to identifying the species. Though only the more common plants are covered this is often the first
book I pick up when trying to identify a wildflower.
wers of Tennessee the Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians
By: Dennis Horn and Tavia Cathcart and Thomas E. Hemmerly and David Duhl. , ISBN:1551054280
This is perhaps the best of many field guides covering this region. Featuring 446 excellent color photographs (located
with the text) and mentioning as similar to those illustrated are another 800 or so species for a total coverage of over
1,200 species. The start of each family section includes line drawings of some of the species showing important
features. The text includes the usual description, bloom season, range, habitat and additionally includes information
such as medical uses and lore and how the species was named. This is the official field guide of the Tennessee
Native Plant Society.
Angiosperms / Flowering
Dicots / Two Seed
Glossary / Books /
Links / Feedback / Image use policy
www.2bnTheWild.com - Wildflowers of the Southeastern United States,
Page updated on 12/22/2001 8:20:29 AM.