Dirca [SEP] parent taxon
Dirca
Dirca is a genus of three or four species of flowering plants in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to North America. The genus is named after Dirce in Greek mythology. The general common name for this deciduous shrub is leatherwood; other names include moosewood, ropebark and the Powhatan-derived name wicopy. The stems of "Dirca" are exceptionally pliable and the bark is difficult to tear by hand; for this reason, its stems were used by Native Americans in eastern North America as thongs or ropes. Members of
Dirca occidentalis
Dirca occidentalis, the western leatherwood, is a deciduous shrub with leaves three to seven centimeters in length. Yellow flowers emerge prior to leafing. It grows on moist and shaded slopes. It is rare and endemic to the San Francisco Bay area of California. Its closest relative, "Dirca palustris", lives in the eastern half of North America.
External links.
- Jepson Manual Online "Dirca occidentalis" A. Gray