Piedmont staggerbush

Description

Lyonia mariana, the Piedmont staggerbush and staggerbush, is a perennial shrub that is native to the United States. It is listed as endangered in Pennsylvania, historical in Rhode Island, and as a species of special concern and believed extirpated in Connecticut. The Cherokee use an infusion of the plant for toe itch, 'ground-itch' and ulcers. Lyonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. There are about 35 species native to Asia and North America. These are shrubs and trees, deciduous or evergreen. Some have rhizomes. The leaves are spirally arranged and the inflorescences grow in the leaf axils. The flowers are usually white, sometimes red. The fruit is a capsule.