Two-wing silverbell | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Styracaceae |
Genus: | Halesia |
Species: | H. diptera |
Binomial name | |
Halesia diptera J.Ellis |
Halesia diptera (two-wing silverbell or two-winged snowdrop tree) is a species in the family Styracaceae, native to the southeastern United States from South Carolina and Florida west to eastern Texas. It is cultivated as an ornamental tree.
It is a large shrub or small tree reaching 4-8 m tall. The leaves are deciduous, 6-12 cm long and 4-7 cm broad. The flowers are white, 2-2.5 cm long, produced in clusters of 3-6 together. The fruit is a dry (non-fleshy) drupe with two wings down the sides; this distinguishes it from the other species of Halesia, which have four wings on the fruit.
There are two varieties: