Leatherwood (Dirca palustris)
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Description:
Branches of leatherwood (Dirca palustris), with flowers, fruit and leaves.
Deciduous shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae, growing in woods and forests, and native to North America. The bark and branches are leathery and very flexible, so much so that it is said to be possible to tie the branches of a living shrub in a knot without breaking them. Flowers are yellow. It is slightly toxic when ingested or in contact with the skin, and chewing the bark could cause severe burns to the mouth.
The caption reads in the original French: Dirca des marais (Dirca palustris).