NYSSACEAE - - Tupelo Family

Nyssa aquatica Linnaeus — Water Tupelo, Tupelo Gum, Cotton Gum

Water Tupelo, Tupelo Gum, Cotton Gum (Nyssa aquatica) - Tree becoming 35 m. tall, the stem erect; leaf-blades ovate to elliptic, 9—30 cm. long, often sinuate or coursely toothed; petioles 2.5 cm. long; drupe nearly 3 cm. long, dark-purple, shorter than the pedicel; stone sharp-ridged. The wood is used for making various utensils. It is light-brown or nearly white, soft, but tough.

Habitat:

River swamps, where inundated for substantial periods of time. Primarily on the Coastal Plain, but with scattered locations in other physiographic provinces, such as in sc. TN., north AL and Floyd Co. in northwest GA.

Habitat information from:
Weakley, Alan S., Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, Working Draft of 21 May 2015.

The range of Nyssa aquatica (Water Tupelo, Tupelo Gum, Cotton Gum)

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)].

The Georgia range of Nyssa aquatica (Water Tupelo, Tupelo Gum, Cotton Gum)

Zomlefer, W.B., J.R. Carter, & D.E. Giannasi. 2014 (and ongoing). The Atlas of Georgia Plants. University of Georgia Herbarium (Athens, Georgia) and Valdosta State University Herbarium (Valdosta, Georgia). Available at: http://www.georgiaherbaria.org/.