Species: Viburnum lentago L.

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Viburnum lentago L.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Caprifoliaceae

Genus:

Viburnum

Species Synonyms:

Viburnum X vetteri Zabel

Common Names:

nannyberry
sweet viburnum
sheepberry

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southeastern Saskatchewan - New Brunswick

Saskatchewan:

southeastern Saskatchewan; Gainsborough, Pinto

Ecoregion:

Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist, shady deciduous woods

Associated species:

American black currant, American elm, box elder, chokecherry, grey alder, green ash, hawthorn, mountain alder, red-osier dogwood, saskatoonberry, Wood’s rose

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G4 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Nannyberry is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is uncommon. This species is restricted to two general regions of the province. Most local populations are small and the occurrences are highly infrequent and sporadic.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

to 5 m tall

Stems:

shrub; bark grey to reddish brown, with corky, raised areas; centre white; winter buds with a pair of outer scales

Leaves:

opposite; stalk narrowly wavy-winged, hairs reddish-brown and star-shaped; blades 5 – 9 cm long, 3 – 6 cm wide; oval, tip short-tapered to having a tail-like appendage, base wedge-shaped to square, midvein conspicuous and yellow, venation pinnate, lateral veins curved, hairless

Inflorescence:

cyme sessile, umbrella-like, 5 – 12 cm broad; rays 3 – 5, covered in small bran-like scales; marginal flowers fertile, not differentiated

Flowers:

sepals ~0.5 mm long, hairless; petals 2 – 4 mm long, whitish; stamens exserted

Fruits:

single-seeded, fleshy, 10 – 14 mm long, pulpy, purplish, with or without whitish bloom, sepals and stigma persistent; seed ovoid, flattened, yellowish, with sharp, pointy projections

*KEY TO VIBURNUM* IN SASKATCHEWAN**

1 Some leaves three lobed; leaves palmately 3 – 5 nerved; fruit red or orange	2
1 All leaves without lobes; leaves pinnately veined; fruit purple or black	3

2 Marginal flowers of inflorescence large and showy, sterile; majority of leaves deeply three-lobed; inflorescences with two pairs of leaves	V. opulus var. americanum
2 Marginal flowers of inflorescence not enlarged; majority of leaves not deeply three-lobed; inflorescences with one pair of leaves	V. edule

3 Leaf margins hairy and toothed, teeth pointing outwards; lateral veins of leaves straight; stalk not wavy-winged	V. rafinesquianum
3 Leaf margins not hairy but toothed, teeth pointing upwards; lateral veins curved; stalk wavy- winged	V. lentago