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Dirca
Also called Leatherwoods
Dirca is a genus of three or four species of shrubby flowering plants in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to North America. The genus is named after Dirce in Greek mythology. The general common name for this deciduous shrub is leatherwood; other names include moosewood, ropebark and the Powhatan-derived name wicopy, referring to its use as a fiber, wigub in the Algonquin languages. The stems of Dirca are exceptionally pliable and the bark is difficult to tear by hand; for this reason, its stems were used by Native Americans in eastern North America as thongs or ropes. The inner bark has cross-linked fibers that are short but strong and flexible. Members of the genus can grow to a maximum height of about three meters, and are often associated with rich, moist woods or slopes above creeks or streams.
D.
Ozark Leatherwood · Mexican Leatherwood · Western leatherwood · Eastern leatherwood
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dirca by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
