Halesia tetraptera
{{Short description|Species of tree}}
{{italic title}}
{{speciesbox
|name = Common silverbell
|image = Silverbell Halesia tetraptera Flowers.JPG
|genus = Halesia
|species = tetraptera
|authority = L.{{cite web|title=Halesia tetraptera L.|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2838129|website=The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1|accessdate=16 September 2015}}
}}
Halesia tetraptera, commonly known as the common silverbellKY State Nature Preserves Commission: [http://eppcapps.ky.gov/nprareplants/details.aspx?species=Halesia+tetraptera Halesia tetraptera] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007095526/http://eppcapps.ky.gov/nprareplants/details.aspx?species=Halesia+tetraptera |date=2008-10-07 }} or mountain silverbell{{PLANTS|id=HATE3|taxon=Halesia tetraptera|accessdate=9 May 2015}} (or Carolina silverbell; syn. Halesia carolina auct. non L.),{{GRIN | accessdate = 21 January 2018}} is a species in the family Styracaceae, native to the southeastern United States. It is cultivated as an ornamental tree.
Description
It is a small deciduous tree growing to 10 m tall. The leaves are ovate to lanceolate, 5–16 cm long and 4–7 cm broad. The flowers are 1–2.5 cm long, with a four-lobed white corolla. The fruit is a dry drupe 4 cm long, with four wings running along its length.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan {{ISBN|0-333-47494-5}}.Bioimages: [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/hate3.htm Halesia tetraptera] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080427065627/http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/hate3.htm |date=2008-04-27 }}
Range
The species is found in scattered populations over much of the eastern United States, as far north as West Virginia, south to northern Florida, and west to Oklahoma. But it is thinly distributed over much of its native range, and is becoming rare in many areas.Geographic Distribution: [http://www.treetrail.net/carolina_silverbell.html Halesia tetraptera (Carolina Silverbell)]
Varieties
There are two varieties of H. tetraptera:
- Halesia tetraptera var. tetraptera – Common silverbell
- Halesia tetraptera var. monticola (Rehder) Reveal & Seldin{{GRIN | Halesia tetraptera var. monticola | 318120 | accessdate = 21 January 2018}}{{cite web|title=Halesia tetraptera var. monticola (Rehder) Reveal & Seldin|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2838137|website=The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1|accessdate=16 September 2015}} – Mountain silverbell
The last taxon is much larger, up to 20–39 m tall, with larger leaves up to 20 cm long and flowers up to 3 cm long.Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins {{ISBN|0-00-220013-9}}.
Image:Halesia tetraptera3.jpg|{{center|Trunk}}
Image:HalesiaTetraptera.jpg|{{center|Flowers}}
Image:Halesia_tetraptera.jpg|H. tetraptera var. monticola
Ecology
H. tetraptera var. tetraptera has been marked as a pollinator plant, supporting and attracting butterflies and bees.{{Cite web|title=Planting Guides|url=https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/OzarkBroadleafrx1FINAL_171017_085901.pdf|access-date=2022-01-29|website=Pollinator.org|language=en-US}}