Kentucky Plant Atlas




  
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Caprifoliaceae Lonicera <Caprifolium> prolifera (rupestris, sullivantii, ?reticulata*)
Lonicera prolifera (Kirchn.) Rehd.
ALI: no HAB: 12,11, +\, E, 3 ABU: g8, s4, 0
In Ky. this midwestern species is rare on more or less xeric limestone cliffs along tributaries of the lower Kentucky Rv. (and formerly up Elkhorn Cr. into FAYE), plus a few calcareous sites in dolomitic foothills of the Knobs (at least GARR and LINC). Colls. to support the records from HARD (Cranfill 1991), LEWI (R. Cranfill, pers. comm.) and JEFF (Duncan 1967) have not yet been located. There is almost no distributional overlap in Ky. with the closely related dioica, which occurs more widely on calcareous outcrops, from xeric to mesic sites. But further west and north, prolifera does overlap geographically and occurs in a much wider range of habitats (e.g. Y). Plants of prolifera along the Kentucky Rv. Palisades all have virtually glabrous leaves, and tend to form compact low bushy mounds 1-2 m high, in marked contrast with those further north that can climb to 5 m or more. Distinction from dioica can be difficult, even with flowers (F, GC, Y). Leaves are generally broader and blunter in shape (L/W = 1-1.5 versus 1.2-2.2 in upper ones); the uppermost connate pair is often suborbicular and covered by glaucous bloom near the center (versus mostly green). Flowers are creamy or pale yellow, never pinkish to red (as sometimes in dioica further north), and they occur in (2) 3-4 (6) whorls (versus usually 1-2). Some authors in recent years have applied the name L. reticulata Raf. to this species, based on an unpublished dissertation (Perino 1978; cited by Y). However, Rafinesque's (1836, 3:17-18) notes on reticulata suggests dioica; it is his rupestris that suggests prolifera.