American Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia)
Description
Staphylea trifolia, the American bladdernut, is native to eastern North America, from southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec west to Nebraska and Arkansas, and south to Florida. It is a medium-sized shrub growing to 11 m (36 ft) tall. Its growth rate is medium to fast. The leaves are opposite and divided into three leaflets, each leaflet up to 10 cm (4 in) long and 5 cm (2 in) broad, with a serrated margin. The leaves are bright green in the spring, turning dark green in the summer. S. trifolia produces pendant white flowers in spring, which mature into bladder-like, teardrop-shaped fruits that contain several large black seeds.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Crossosomatales
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Family: Staphyleaceae
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Genus: Staphylea
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