two-wing silverbell Styracaceae Halesia diptera
Leaf:Alternate, simple, 2 to 6 inches long, ovate or obovate, margins serrate to toothed, green above, paler below with some pubescence.
Flower:Very showy white, 4-petaled, bell-shaped, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, borne on long stalks in clusters of 4 to 5, appearing in spring.
Fruit:A very distinctive oblong, dry, 2-winged, corky drupe that is 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, matures late summer, dries and disperses over winter.
Twig:Somewhat zig-zag (terminal bud is absent), brown in color with reddish brown buds; pith is white and chambered. The stem becomes "stringy" after the first year.
Bark:When young, red-brown with white stripes, forming a rough diamond-shape pattern; older trees develop ridges and furrows; ridges eventually develop into scaly plates.
Form:A large shrub or small tree that is quite variable in outline.