Arizona Naturalists >>> Sycamore Gallery Flora >>> Garryaceae >>> Garrya flavescens

Ashy Silktassel

Garrya flavescens

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Ashy Silktassel, Garrya flavescens, photo © by Mike Plagens

Foliage of Ashy-silk Tassel, Garrya flavescens as observed along Sycamore Creek in the Mazatzal Mountains, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA. November 2008.

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nearly mature fruit of Ashy Silktassel, Garrya flavescens, photo © by Mike Plagens

Fruit of of Ashy-silk Tassel, Garrya flavescens as observed in the New River Mountains, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA. 28 May 2011.

LEAVES: Thick, broadly oval, opposite leaves are tapered at both ends and smooth on the margins. Under magnification the source of the ashy color is reavealed as a fine layer of silvery, flattened scale-hairs.

FLOWERS: Pendulant spikes of small, non-showy flowers borne in twos or threes within cup-like bracts open early spring. Each spike has both male (with stamens) and female (with pistil) flowers.

Ashy Silktassel, Garrya flavescens, photo © by Mike Plagens

Inflorescence of Ashy-silk Tassel observed at the first crossing of the East Verde River along Houston Mesa Rd., Gila Co., Az. July 2010.

SHRUB: A medium to large-sized evergreen shrub with usually multiple stems from ground level plus branching freely above. Commonly two meters tall.

RANGE: In Arizona this plant is typical of shrubby chaparral habitat, but also occurs in patches within nearby habitats including sycamore woods. It is not found in perennially wet soil. Adapted to occasional burning by regrowing from underground rootstock.

FRUIT: Mature berry ripens to blue-black from green and contains usu. two seeds.

UNARMED. Without thorns, but the stiff branches are tough to push through.

Garryaceae -- Silktassel Family

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shoot gall caused by an insect larva on Ashy Silktassel, Garrya flavescens, photo © by Mike Plagens

A number of plants were found in the New River Mountains, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA, on 28 May 2011, with swollen, distorted shoots. These galls were caused by feeding within by larvae of an insect. So far, I have not successfully reared these for identification.


Arizona Naturalist
Sycamore Canyons
The Flora of Arizona's Sycamore Canyons

Copyright Michael J. Plagens, page created 7 Jan, 2010,
updated 11 Oct. 2012