Description Garrya congdonii

leaves , spent blooms

congdon silktassel has multi-furcate trunk branching structure yielding spherical form. height can attain 4 meters, more commonly averages 2 3 meters in wild. congdon silktassel, genus garrya, have opposite leaves have tough leathery feel, glossy green on top, paler, furry , duller on underside. dioecious flowers concentrated in inflorescences cascade downward aments of approximately 3 5 centimeters in length. while congdon silktassel manifests separate male , female plants, pendant male catkins more evident, 25 centimeters long; of female shorter , silver-grey. although flowers bloom in late january , february, dried bracts remain on tree summer light gray decorations. plant has smooth dark bark, dark-greenish when young, age bark roughens. new twigs green , moderately stout.

for pistillate flowers, above each small bract there solitary flower inside inflorescence. plant produces tiny dark seeds can become airborne small fluffy wind-blown cotton. ripened purple black fruit of 7 millimeters in diameter has hard desiccated shell, fleshy on interior. in case of stamenate infloresences, there total of 4 stamens per flower; moreover, above each bract pair there triplet of flowers.

the unique characteristics of congdon silktassel leathery convex green (with slight yellowish tinge) leaves wavy leaf margins, coupled dense individual hairs on leaf undersides scarcely distinguishable hand lens. leaf blades 6 8 centimeters in length, , has petioles range in length 6 twelve millimeters. identification purposes, congdon silktassel has leaf hairs distinguishable hand lens, , both leaf blades , petioles 2 thirds size of on coast silktassel.