This shrub is widespread in wetlands of eastern North America, also disjunct to Ariz. and Cal., and in Central America; its few congeners occur in tropical regions of the Americas, Africa and Asia. Records mapped here include var. pubescens Raf., which has been collected from JEFF (DHL) and probably elsewhere. That taxon has not been recognized in most recent treatments (W); its records are largely restricted to southeastern states, especially N.Car., S. Car. and Tenn., but perhaps absent from Flo. (SERNEC). Cephalanthus is among the most flood-tolerant woody species of eastern states, with a remarkable ability to increase shoot/root ratio when flooded, rivaling all trees except perhaps Taxodium (e.g. McCarron et al. 1998). Plants are generally unpalatable to deer (e.g. Ripley & McClure 1963, Wakeland & Swihart 2009), but may often be consumed or at least cut by beaver (Nixon & Ely 1969). The bark has had much traditional use for varied medicinal applications, but it is considered somewhat toxic; chemistry includes diverse indole and oxindole alkaloids, plus triterpenoid saponins (Phillipson et al. 1982, Zhang et al. 2005). Superficially, Cephalanthus resembles Cornus subgenus Thelycrania (especially large leaves of C. amomum) in vegetative form, although leaves are sometimes whorled in threes (versus strictly paired). Cephalanthus is distinguishable by the presence of small stipules (ca. 2-4 mm long, trianglular, interpetiolar and often persistent), by its lower leaf surfaces which lack papillae and appressed hairs; and by the lack of rooting from shoot tips. Also, when leaves of Cornus are broken slightly, their veins remain connected by silky threads.