Euonymus atropurpureus

Family:CELASTRACEAE
Species:Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
Common Name:American Wahoo; Eastern Wahoo; Burning Bush
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Shrub
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:American Wahoo is a native deciduous shrub or small tree in the Bittersweet family (Celastraceae). It is native to central and northern Alabama in areas underlain by limestone. It can be found around the edges of cedar glades, in low prairie woodlands, in rich woodlands over limestone, and along small streams. It is an upright shrub or small tree to 20 feet in height. The bark on younger twigs in green and smooth. It becomes tan to gray and slightly rough with age. Leaves are petiolate, opposite, deciduous, and elliptic to ovate or oblong in outline. The margins are serrate. The leaves turn bright red or orange before falling in the autumn. An alternate common name for this species is “Burning Bush”. Flowers are produced in axillary cymes of 7-20 flowers. Each flower has 4 maroon or reddish-brown petals. The fruit is a smooth 4-lobed pink capsule. American Wahoo is listed as a S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G5 species (demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery). American Wahoo is available from some nurseries. It prefers a neutral or basic soil and full sun to light shade. It is cultivated primarily for its fall color and for its unusual fruit which are consumed by a variety of bird species. Although it has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, all parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, FAC (NWI), S2 (State Rank), G5 (Global Rank)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyCELASTRACEAE - Bittersweet family
Genus Euonymus
Species Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq. - American Wahoo; Eastern Wahoo; Burning Bush

Citation

Citation Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin, Hort. Bot. Vindob. 2: 55, pl. 120. 1772 [1773].
Basionym: **
Type: Without data, cult. in Austria, Jacquin s.n. (lectotype: BM). Lectotypified by Reveal, Phytologia 69: 343. 1990.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Euonymus atropurpureus var. grandifolius Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin, var. grandifolius Raf., New Fl. 3: 60. 1838 ("1836").  
Euonymus atropurpureus var. latifolius Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin, var. latifolius Rafinesque, New Fl. 3: 60. 1838 ("1836").  
Euonymus caroliniensis Euonymus caroliniensis Marshall, Arbust. Amer. 43. 1785.  
Euonymus latifolius Euonymus latifolius Marshall, Arbust. Amer. 44. 1785, non Miller 1768.  
Euonymus tristis Euonymus tristis Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton 142. 1796, nom. illegit.BASIONYM: Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin 1772-1773. 

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Clarke, Dallas, Etowah, Franklin, Greene, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marengo, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, St. Clair, Sumter, Wilcox

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1892 - 1989

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UNA00020506 Greene 09 May 1969 Thomas, Joab L.
2054
UNA
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
SAMF0002384 Greene 10 Apr 2011 Keener, Brian R.
6354
SAMF
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0046359 Autauga 24 Aug 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
1146
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
AUA_ACC_13269 Etowah 7 Apr 1968 O'Neal, Judy
AUA
Euonymus Atropurpurea Jacq.
TROY000032443 Montgomery 01 Jul 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22289
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0017377 Franklin 12 Sep 2009 England, J. Kevin
2190
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin var. atropurpureus
UWAL0012059 Blount 30 Apr 2011 Keener, Brian R.
6431
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122388 Etowah 17 Apr 1968 Payton, Charles
s.n.
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UNA00057734 Bibb 19 Apr 1996 Allison, James R.
9109
UNA
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
UWAL0008267 Montgomery 01 Jul 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22289
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
AUA_ACC_53446 Jackson 12 Jun 1991 Gunn, Scott C.
2009
AUA
Euonymus Atropurpurea Jacq.
JSU122393 Limestone 1 Mar 1997 Hofmann, Tim L.
00310
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UNA00068809 Wilcox 26 Apr 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4246
UNA
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
TROY000034722 Montgomery 12 Apr 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
22923
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
ALNHS00004457 Jackson 31 Aug 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
HC-632
ALNHS
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
UWAL0053137 Morgan 15 Aug 2020 Thompson, Joey
1209
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
AMAL00014375 St. Clair 26 May 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4484
AMAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122397 Morgan 28 May 1975 Whetstone, R. David
4051
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122390 Etowah 21 May 1976 Atkinson, Tim A.
1500
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0010729 Butler 15 Mar 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
22849
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
TROY000034836 Montgomery 12 Apr 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
22918
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0008647 Marengo 06 May 2009 England, J. Kevin
2075
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq. var. atropurpureus
TROY000017757 Wilcox 26 Apr 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4246
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
TROY000034630 Butler 15 Mar 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
22849
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
AMAL00009731 Etowah 22 Oct 1975 Atkinson, T.A.
839
AMAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122386 Etowah 5 May 1967 Sanford, N.
s.n.
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0005405 Montgomery 14 May 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22109
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
TROY000032262 Pickens 12 May 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5240
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122394 Madison 22 Sep 1995 Threlkeld, Steven J.
086
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0008650 Pickens 12 May 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5240
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
UWAL0015279 Clarke 03 Nov 2013 Keener, Brian R.
8235
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
TROY000032954 Montgomery 14 May 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22109
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122396 Morgan 29 May 1970 Kral, Robert
39342
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
TROY000031905 Wilcox 27 Jul 2010 Diamond, Alvin R.
21488
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0010912 Montgomery 12 Apr 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
22923
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
TROY000035005 Greene 10 Apr 2011 Keener, Brian R.
6354
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122387 Etowah 17 Apr 1968 Stuart, Martha
s.n.
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0008649 Sumter 12 May 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5252
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
UWAL0008648 St. Clair 26 May 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4484
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
TROY000048838 Autauga 24 Aug 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
1146
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0008513 Greene 10 Apr 2011 Keener, Brian R.
6354
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
AMAL00014129 Wilcox 26 Apr 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4246
AMAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122395 Morgan 28 May 1975 Whetstone, R. David
4051
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0010856 Montgomery 12 Apr 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
22918
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
TROY000032263 Sumter 12 May 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5252
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0014938 Dallas 27 Aug 2012 Webb, Wayne K.
s.n.
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0008646 Jackson 12 May 2010 Keener, Brian R.
5968
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
UNA00009377 Madison 11 May 1989 Burckhalter, Robert
1629
UNA
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
AUA_ACC_70449 Pickens 12 May 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5240
AUA
Euonymus Atropurpurea Jacq.
ALNHS00008182 Etowah 03 May 2023 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#6030
ALNHS
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
UWAL0011153 Marengo 12 Jul 2012 England, J. Kevin
3659
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
AMAL00017651 Lauderdale 18 Nov 2009 Holt, Brian D.
207
AMAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UNA00020469 03 Jun 1892 Mohr, Charles
s.n.
UNA
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
TROY000043477 Lawrence 09 Nov 2012 England, J. Kevin
4028
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122385 Etowah 18 May 1971 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
TROY000035323 Dallas 27 Aug 2012 Webb, Wayne K.
s.n.
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0008651 Wilcox 26 Apr 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4246
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
JSU122392 Jackson 15 Oct 1975 Whetstone, R. David
6992
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UNA00073664 Blount 30 Apr 2011 Keener, Brian R.
6431
UNA
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
UWAL0012881 Lawrence 09 Nov 2012 England, J. Kevin
4028
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UWAL0048152 Jackson 06 Jun 1983 Webb, David H.
4800
UWAL
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
JSU122391 Jackson 22 May 1996 Whetstone, R. David
17658
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
UNA00068678 St. Clair 26 May 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4484
UNA
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq.
TROY000032184 Marengo 06 May 2009 England, J. Kevin
2075
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin var. atropurpureus
TROY000014732 St. Clair 26 May 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4484
TROY
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
JSU122389 Jackson 23 Apr 1999 Brodeur, Kristin R.
1741
JSU
Euonymus atropurpureus Jacquin
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