Cephalanthus occidentalis

ClassificationDicots
FamilyRubiaceae
Family (Traditional)Rubiaceae
GenusCephalanthus
Species:Cephalanthus occidentalis L.
Common NameButtonbush
Growth Habitshrub
Plant Notes**
CharacteristicsArmaments: No; Milky Sap: No; Photosynthetic: Yes; Stipules: Yes; Woody Herbaceous: Woody; Natural Area Presence: BE; Natural Area Presence: BISO; Natural Area Presence: DRU; Natural Area Presence: FCFSP; Natural Area Presence: FG; Natural Area Presence: GILES; Natural Area Presence: GRSM; Natural Area Presence: LC; Natural Area Presence: LGS; Natural Area Presence: LRC; Natural Area Presence: LULA; Natural Area Presence: NCCGSNA; Natural Area Presence: ObedWSR; Natural Area Presence: RCSP; Natural Area Presence: SGSNA; Natural Area Presence: TRG; Natural Area Presence: UCR; Natural Area Presence: WOLF; Duration: Perennial; General Ecology: Mudflat; General Ecology: Terrestrial; Growth Habit: shrub; Moisture Requirements: Mesic; Moisture Requirements: Mesic-Hydric; Moisture Requirements: Hydric; Moisture Requirements: Wetland; Region of Origin: North America; Reproductive Phenology: June; Reproductive Phenology: July; Leaf Arrangement: opposite; Leaf Arrangement: whorled; Leaf Complexity: simple; Leaf Dissection: 0; Leaf Fragrance: No; Leaf Persistance: Deciduous; Leaf Petiole Type: petiolate; Leaf Type: broadleaf; Leaf Venation: pinnate; Leaflet Margins: entire; Leaflet Number: 0; Base Flower Color: White; Fruit Dehiscence: No; Fruit Type: Achene; Fruit Type: Schizocarp; Fruit Wet/Dry: Dry; Hypanthium Present: No; Ovary Position: Inferior; Overall Flower Symmetry: Actinomorphic; Perianth Present: Yes; Pistil Number: 1; Sexuality: monoclinous; Sporangium Arrangement: N/A; Stamen Number: 4
C value 6
StatusNative; AGCP (OBL), EMP (OBL) (NWPL); TN[SNR] KY[S5] (State Rank); G5 (Global Rank)
Specimen(s) View and Download Specimen Details »

** Not applicable or data not available.

Species Distribution Map

This species has been reported in the counties highlighted in the interactive distribution map below. Click on a county to display the its name. Click the question mark icon () to view additional information about the ecoregions shown. In the map legend, there are links to toggle the visibility of the ecoregions and/or their labels. In addition, clicking on an ecoregion name will highlight that region on the map.

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  • State Boundaries
  • Counties
  • Counties - Species Present
Ecoregions
  • Southeastern Plains
    • Blackland Prarie
  • Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Ridge and Valley
  • Cumberland Plateau
  • Cumberland Mountains
  • Allegheny Plateau
  • Interior Plateau
    • Bluegrass Region
    • Nashville Basin
    • Pennyroyal Karst Plain
    • Western Highland Rim
    • Eastern Highland Rim

Synonyms (3)

SynonymFull Citation
Cephalanthus occidentalis var. californicus Cephalanthus occidentalis var. californicus Benth.
Cephalanthus occidentalis var. pubescens Cephalanthus occidentalis var. pubescens Raf.
Cephalanthus pubescens Cephalanthus pubescens

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.

Counties included on distribution map: Adair (KY), Ballard (KY), Barren (KY), Bath (KY), Bell (KY), Boone (KY), Bracken (KY), Breckinridge (KY), Bullitt (KY), Butler (KY), Caldwell (KY), Calloway (KY), Campbell (KY), Carter (KY), Christian (KY), Clark (KY), Clinton (KY), Cumberland (KY), Daviess (KY), Edmonson (KY), Estill (KY), Fayette (KY), Fleming (KY), Floyd (KY), Franklin (KY), Fulton (KY), Garrard (KY), Graves (KY), Green (KY), Greenup (KY), Hardin (KY), Hart (KY), Henderson (KY), Henry (KY), Hickman (KY), Hopkins (KY), Jackson (KY), Jefferson (KY), Jessamine (KY), Kenton (KY), Knox (KY), Larue (KY), Laurel (KY), Lawrence (KY), Lee (KY), Leslie (KY), Lewis (KY), Lyon (KY), McCracken (KY), McCreary (KY), McLean (KY), Madison (KY), Magoffin (KY), Marion (KY), Marshall (KY), Meade (KY), Menifee (KY), Metcalfe (KY), Montgomery (KY), Morgan (KY), Muhlenberg (KY), Ohio (KY), Oldham (KY), Pendleton (KY), Pike (KY), Powell (KY), Pulaski (KY), Robertson (KY), Rockcastle (KY), Rowan (KY), Spencer (KY), Todd (KY), Trigg (KY), Trimble (KY), Warren (KY), Webster (KY), Whitley (KY), Wolfe (KY), Anderson (TN), Benton (TN), Bledsoe (TN), Blount (TN), Bradley (TN), Carroll (TN), Carter (TN), Cheatham (TN), Chester (TN), Clay (TN), Coffee (TN), Crockett (TN), Cumberland (TN), Davidson (TN), Decatur (TN), DeKalb (TN), Dickson (TN), Fayette (TN), Fentress (TN), Franklin (TN), Gibson (TN), Giles (TN), Grainger (TN), Greene (TN), Grundy (TN), Hamblen (TN), Hamilton (TN), Hardin (TN), Hawkins (TN), Haywood (TN), Henry (TN), Houston (TN), Humphreys (TN), Jackson (TN), Johnson (TN), Knox (TN), Lake (TN), Lauderdale (TN), Lawrence (TN), Lewis (TN), Lincoln (TN), Loudon (TN), McNairy (TN), Macon (TN), Marion (TN), Maury (TN), Meigs (TN), Monroe (TN), Montgomery (TN), Morgan (TN), Obion (TN), Overton (TN), Perry (TN), Polk (TN), Putnam (TN), Rhea (TN), Roane (TN), Rutherford (TN), Scott (TN), Sequatchie (TN), Sevier (TN), Shelby (TN), Stewart (TN), Sullivan (TN), Sumner (TN), Tipton (TN), Union (TN), Van Buren (TN), Warren (TN), Washington (TN), Wayne (TN), Weakley (TN), White (TN), Williamson (TN)

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: APSC, BEREA, EKY, ETSU, HTTU, KNK, MEM, MTSU, SWMT, TENN, UCHT, UOS, UTM

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1934 - 2019

Accession No. (click for full details)
County
State
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
31234100638525 Adair Kentucky 11 Jul 1988 Bruce Hoagland
305
EKY
Cephalanthus occidentalis
31234100638533 Adair Kentucky 21 Jul 1988 Bruce Hoagland
417
EKY
Cephalanthus occidentalis
TENN-V-0203307 Anderson Tennessee
TENN
Cephalanthus occidentalis
TENN-V-0203306 Anderson Tennessee
TENN
Cephalanthus occidentalis
TENN-V-0203305 Anderson Tennessee
TENN
Cephalanthus occidentalis
TENN-V-0203308 Anderson Tennessee
TENN
Cephalanthus occidentalis
ETSU008768 Anderson Tennessee
ETSU
Cephalanthus occidentalis
APSC0105819 Ballard Kentucky
APSC
Cephalanthus occidentalis
APSC0115769 Ballard Kentucky
APSC
Cephalanthus occidentalis
HTTU010436 Ballard Kentucky
HTTU
Cephalanthus occidentalis
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Plant Photos

Cephalanthus occidentalis - Alaina Krakowiak
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Alaina Krakowiak
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Alaina Krakowiak
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Alaina Krakowiak
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Dwayne Estes
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Milo Pyne
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Milo Pyne
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Milo Pyne
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Milo Pyne
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Sunny Fleming
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Sunny Fleming
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Tara Littlefield
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Tara Littlefield
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Tara Littlefield
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Tara Littlefield
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Tara Littlefield
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Tara Littlefield
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Theo Witsell
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Theo Witsell
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Theo Witsell
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Theo Witsell
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Theo Witsell
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Theo Witsell
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Joey Shaw