Publication: Pittonia 2: 221. 1892.

Origin: Native

Herbarium search: CPNWH

Notes: Draft FNA9: "Spiraea lucida has frequently been considered a variety of S. betulifolia based upon: (a) hypanthial vestiture, inflorescence shape, extent of leaf serration, and leaf texture (L. J. Uttal 1974); or (b) corymbiform panicles, white petals, plant nearly glabrous throughout (C. L. Hitchcock and A. Cronquist 1961; A. Cronquist et al. 1997; H. J. Scoggan 1978). Although these character states occur in the eastern Asian S. betulifolia, it has very different leaf architecture, which appears to be unique and not found in any North American taxa. Spiraea lucida has an extremely variable leaf morphology that seems related to the tendency for stems to die back annually and the consequent annual production of long shoots. Although C. Sterling (1966) did not examine all taxa of Spiraea, the character states of carpel morphology of S. stevenii (see discussion ) and S. lucida were similar and differed slightly from those of S. betulifolia (although the provenance of his specimen is not clear from the text)."

Last updated 12/28/2020 by David Giblin.