Choisya

Orange Flower ( Choisya ternata )

The Orange Flowers ( Choisya ) are a small plant genus, in the rue family ( Rutaceae ) from the southern North America. Your botanical name of the genus was given by the Swiss botanist Jacques Denis Choisy.

Description

At Orange flower species are evergreen shrubs that reach heights of growth between 1 m and 3 m, depending on the type.

The opposite leaves are permanent fingered, ternate in some species, in others up to 13 - merous. The shape of the leaf segments may be ovate to broadly linear. The leaves contain numerous inclusions etheric oil and give off when crushed a strong aromatic, orange -like odor.

The white flowers smell strongly of orange blossoms. They are too few in the leaf axils or in small terminal cymes. The number of petals is between four and seven, but most are five petals present. Stamens 8 to 15 present, the stamens widened leaf-like, and how the petals are pure white. They form two to sechsfächerige, leathery capsule fruits.

Dissemination

All types come from southern North America and northern Central America (Texas, South -West United States and Mexico).

Use

Some species of the genus are cultivated as ornamental plants, but most can tolerate these only light frost. Choisya 'Aztec Pearl', a hybrid of Choisya arizonica and Choisya ternata is, because of their three-to five-fold, narrow leaves one of the most popular ornamental plants of the genus.

Species

Depending on the author, there is the genus of a total of five to eight species, since Choisya mollis and Choisya arizonica also be regarded as varieties of Choisya dumosa and Choisya grandiflora can be placed as a synonym for Choisya ternata.

• Choisya arizonica Standlschmaus.
• Choisya dumosa ( Torr. ) A. Gray, with up to 13 -part sheets of very narrow leaflets.
• Orange Flower ( Choisya ternata (La Llave & Lex ) Humb. , Bonpl. & Kunth ), a limited hardy ornamental plant with three-piece, sometimes up to five-part leaves of oval leaflets.
• Choisya grandiflora rule is also provided to Choisya ternata
• Choisya katherinae C.H.Mull.
• Choisya mollis Standlschmaus.
• Choisya neglecta C.H.Mull.
• Choisya palmeri Standlschmaus.

Sources and further information