sourwood

[′sau̇r‚wu̇d]

(botany)

Oxydendrum arboreum. A deciduous tree of the heath family (Ericaceae) indigenous along the Alleghenies and having long, simple, finely toothed, long-pointed leaves that have an acid taste, and white, urn-shaped flowers. Also known as sorrel tree.

sourwood

Tree to 80ft. (25m) Leaves are edible but very sour, hence the name. White droopy urn-shaped flowers, fruit resemble upright eggs. Leaf tea used for calming nerves and lung spasms like asthma, bowel and stomach spasms, diarrhea, and lessening menstrual bleeding, kidney and bladder problems. Bark can be chewed for health benefits.

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References in periodicals archive

The most dominant species in our forest were Oxydendrum arboreum (L.) DC.

Analysis of forest community structure at the Margaret & Luke Pettit environmental preserve, Bartow County, Georgia

27 16,772 0.3 12.0 Castanea dentata 8 21,059 0.1 7.0 Cornus florida 38 5,422 0.3 11.3 Fagus grandifolia 5 4,358 ([dagger]) 1.7 Nyssa sylvatica 10 4,489 0.1 4.4 Oxydendrum arboreum 3 289 ([dagger]) 1.1 Platanus occidentalis 4 5,777 ([dagger]) 2.7 Quercus alba 46 92,393 0.4 34.2 Quercus prinus 6 3,390 0.1 2.5 Quercus rubra 5 9,121 ([dagger]) 3.2 Quercus velutina 16 38,034 0.1 13.3 Tilia americana 1 2,918 ([dagger]) 1.0 Ulmus spp.

Past and present forest composition and natural history of Deep Woods, Hocking County, Ohio (1)

0 Cornus florida 0 Fraxinus pennsylvanica 0 Liriodendron tulipifera 0 Nyssa sylvatica 0 Ostrya virginiana 0 Quercus coccinea 0 Quercus prinus 0 Quercus rubra 0 Quercus velutina 0 Sassafras albidum 0 Ulmus americana 0 Quercus alba 4.0 Oxydendrum arboreum 7.5 Predicted changes in potential species boundaries and optima

Predicting abundance of 80 tree species following climate change in the eastern United States

-- -- -- Morus rubra -- -- -- Oxydendrum arboreum -- -- -- Pinus strobus -- 0.21 0.10 Platanus occidentalis 0.71 -- -- Pmnus serotina 0.22 0.22 -- Quercus alba -- 0.17 -- Quercus velutina -- -- 0.22 Tsuga canadensis -- -- -- BG FD FD Species uninvaded invaded uninvaded Acer pensylvanicum -- 0.18 0.53 Acer rubrum 0.46 0.08 0.09 Amelanchier alnifolia -- -- -- Betula nigra -- -- -- Carya glabra 0.24 -- -- Cercis canadensis 0.25 0.23 -- Camus flarida -- 0.59 -- Fagus grandifolia -- -- 0.22 Hamamelis virginiana -- -- -- Ilex opaca -- 0.17 -- Kalmia latifolia -- -- -- Lindera benzoin 0.08 -- -- Liquidambar styraciflua -- 0.35 0.46 Liriodendron tulipifera 0.89 0.82 1.32 Magnolia sp.

Using dendroecology to examine the effect of Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) invasion on tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) growth