PHILADELPHACEAE

MOCK ORANGE FAMILY

Charles F. Quibell

Shrub, subshrub
Stem < 3 m, generally erect; bark generally peeling as thin sheets or narrow strips
Leaves simple, opposite, deciduous or not, ± hairy; stipules 0; blade ± round to narrowly elliptic, entire or toothed
Inflorescence: cyme, raceme, panicle, or flower 1, terminal or axillary, generally bracted
Flower bisexual, radial; sepals 4–7, free, spreading or erect; petals 4–7, free, ± round to narrowly elliptic, generally white; stamens 10–12 in 2 whorls or many and clustered, filament base linear or wide and flat; pistil 1, ovary superior to 2/3 inferior, chambers 2–8, ovules 1–2 or many per chamber, placentas axile or parietal, styles 3–8, free or fused at base
Fruit: capsule, loculicidal or septicidal; styles persistent or not
Seeds generally many, small to minute
Genera in family: 7 genera, 130 species: temp, subtropical n hemisphere; some cultivated for ornamental (Carpenteria, Deutzia, Philadelphus)
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated within Hydrangeaceae [Soltis et al. 1995 Amer J Bot 82: 504–514]
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WHIPPLEA

MODESTY, YERBA DE SELVA

Species in genus: 1 sp
Etymology: (Lieutenant A.W. Whipple, 1818–1863, Commander, Pacific Railroad Expedition of 1853–1854)

Native

W. modesta Torr.

Subshrub
Stems: main prostrate, lateral and terminal decumbent to erect; bark gray-brown, peeling as narrow strips
Leaves persistent, ± sessile; blade 1.5–4 cm, 1–3 cm wide, ovate to elliptic, coarsely strigose, upper surface hairs ascending, bulbous-based
Inflorescence: cyme or raceme, dense; flowers 4–12
Flower 4–6 mm wide, odorless; sepals 4–6, 1.5–2 mm, narrowly oblong, ± glabrous; petals 4–6, 3–6 mm, obovate, white; stamens 8–12, ± equal, filament base wide, flat; ovary half-inferior, chambers 4–5, incomplete, placentas ± axile, ovule 1 per chamber, styles 4–5, stigma terminal
Fruit depressed-spheric, separating into segments
Seeds 1 per chamber, plump, honeycomb-pitted
Ecology: Slopes, coniferous forest
Elevation: < 1400 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, w San Francisco Bay Area (Santa Cruz Mtns), n Outer South Coast Ranges
Distribution outside California: to Washington
Horticultural information: DRN: 4, 5, 6 &SHD, IRR: 7, 14, 15, 16, 17; GRCVR.