| Distribution | Very poorly known, as this is a recent split as a full species. Weakley’s (2024) map shows it as “common” in the Piedmont but “rare” in the Mountains and Coastal Plain. The SERNEC listing gives specimens for 10 counties, though it seems that only UNCC has gone through its collections of C. laevigata to determine which are C. smallii. The iNaturalist website shows a handful records for the state, all from the Piedmont. The range map (below) is quite incomplete at the present time, and certainly some to many specimens at herbaria of C. laevigata are really of this cryptic species/taxon.
Weakley (2018) gives the range as “VA and KY south to GA and AL, mainly inland.” | |
| Habitat | Weakley (2018) says “Glades, woodlands, forests.” This habitat description suggests that the species may be more often found in uplands, and in high pH conditions, than the very similar C. laevigata, which is clearly a wetland species found mainly in bottomlands. In the experience of one of the editors (LeGrand), the more-serrated leaved plants -- i.e., this species -- grow in mesic to rich uplands or at the outer/upper edges of floodplains, and are not so strongly found along the margins of rivers and levees as is C. laevigata. As such, C. smallii is more often found on the edges of hardwood forests more so than is the other species and perhaps is not a wetland species, or at least is not tied to brownwater riverbanks and floodplains as is C. laevigata.| Phenology | Flowers in April and May, and fruits from August to October (Weakley 2018). | | | Identification | This deciduous tree seems very similar to the familiar Sugarberry (C. laevigata), except that that species has primarily entire leaves or leaves that are rather remotely serrated, with the small teeth (if any) not visible except at close range. Leaf margins of C. smallii are clearly serrated, easily seen in photos. Weakley (2018) indicates that the separating character between C. smallii and C. laevigata are that “Leaves subtending fruits with margins with 2-15 teeth 1-2 mm long on each side” for C. smallii, versus “Leaves subtending fruits with margins entire or with 1-2 teeth 0.5-1 mm long on one side only (leaves of juvenile plants or of vigorous leader shoots may be more strongly toothed)” for C. laevigata. It might be difficult to find leaves that subtend fruits, however; thus, can normal leaves be used for separation? | | | Taxonomic Comments | Very few references other than Weakley (2018) have this taxon split out as a good species; as this website follows his taxonomic treatment, C. smallii is given a species account here. The iNaturalist website does give this taxon a full species designation.
| | | Other Common Name(s) | None? | | | State Rank | [S4?] | | | Global Rank | GNA | | | State Status | | | | US Status | | | | USACE-agcp | | | | USACE-emp | | | |
