| A rare small rhizomatous shrub in the sandalwood family, Nestronia is parasitic on the roots of oaks and other hardwoods, as well as pines. Generally less than 1 meter tall, Nestronia has opposite leaves and branches. Durham, NC 7/24/07.
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| Durham, NC 7/24/07.
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| Granville Co., NC 5/16/09.
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| Pistillate (female) flower from the Knap of Reeds Creek clone. Granville Co., NC 5/16/09.
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| Flowers on the same plant may have either 3 or 4 petals. Granville Co., NC 5/16/09.
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| Granville Co., NC 5/16/09.
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| Fruit detail. The spherical drupes are not frequently seen. This female plant was transplanted from the Stanly Co., NC clone. Durham, NC 7/24/07.
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| It can easily be overlooked. As Weakley (2007) notes, it looks a bit like an opposite-leaved lowbush blueberry. Other common names include Leechbrush and Conjurer's-nut. Durham, NC 4/30/07.
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| Native to 8 states in the southeastern US, in North Carolina Nestronia is found primarily in the Piedmont, where it is rare. It is very rare in the upper Coastal Plain. The scattered colonies are often large single-sex clones. Durham, NC 4/30/07.
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| There is a small male clonal colony on the Duke campus. Durham, NC 4/30/07.
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| The four-parted staminate (male) flowers are borne in pairs of axillary umbels. Durham, NC 4/30/07.
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| The isolated single-sex colonies spread by rhizomes, tending not to reproduce sexually. Durham, NC 4/30/07.
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| Staminate flowers of a plant from a Stanly Co., NC colony. The leaves are much smaller and narrower in the Stanly Co. population than the Durham population. Durham, NC 4/30/07 (planted).
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| Pistillate (female) flowers of a plant from a different Stanly Co. colony. Pistillate flowers are borne singly in the axils of leaves. In 2006-7, Dr. Mel Turner transplanted several Nestronias from different Stanly Co. populations to a spot near the Durham population to see if he could get them to produce viable seed and increase genetic diversity. Durham, NC 4/30/07 (planted).
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| The bark is blackish. Durham, NC 4/30/07.
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