Forsythia

Hanging forsythia ( Forsythia suspensa )

The forsythia ( Forsythia ) are a genus of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae ( Oleaceae ). The approximately 13 Forsythia species originally from Asia and only one from South Eastern Europe. The hybrids Forsythia × intermedia (short: forsythia ) is an intersection of two Forsythia species and is often used as an ornamental shrub in the temperate zones in parks and gardens.

Description

Forsythia species are deciduous shrubs that reach heights of growth 1-3 meters. They grow upright, spreading to decumbent or pendulous. The branches are hollow or have a chambered Mark, young twigs can be somewhat square in cross section. The constantly against arranged on the branches leaves are stalked and simple, rarely three parts. The autumn color is sometimes yellow to purple - red, sometimes even dark green or olive green.

The flowers appear in spring before the leaves emerge, they are individually or collectively in the axils of last year's branches. The flowers are cruciform. The four sepals are fused together into a vierzipfligen chalice. The four petals are fused bell-shaped. There are two different flower shapes, each of which occur on different individuals of a species: Once the two stamens are formed normally, whereas the gynoecium small, in another form, the stamens are made ​​small and the gynoecium, with a two-column scar size. As the stamens can also be completely absent, you can call the plants dioecious or speak only of heterostyly - a question that Charles Darwin already employed. The upper permanent ovary consists of two compartments that carry numerous ovules. The fruit capsules contain numerous slightly winged seeds.

Dissemination

Except for Forsythia europaea, which originates from South East Europe, East Asia occur in all species, six of them in China alone.

Use

Of the genus Forsythia colloquially as " forsythia " designated hybrids Forsythia × intermedia ( Forsythia suspensa × F. viridissima ) is mainly cultivated as an ornamental tree. Other hybrids, such as Forsythia × variabilis ( Forsythia ovata × F. suspensa ), or rare species are commercially available.

Since the flowers of forsythia produce no nectar, the plants are largely worthless as a food source for wild bees or butterflies. Only pollen can be collected.

The fruit of some species is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

System

The genus Forsythia 1804 was set up by Martin Vahl in Enumeratio Plantarum ...., Volume 1, page 39. Forsythia suspensa is the type species ( Thunb. ) Vahl .. A homonym is Forsythia Walter, published in Thomas Walter: Flora Caroliniana, secundum ...., 1788, pp. 153-154. The precedence of the younger name was in Vienna ICBN Art 14:10 & App. III ( Vienna ICBN Article 53 ) specified. A synonym for Forsythia Vahl is Rangium Juss .. The genus name Forsythia honors the British royal gardener William Forsyth.

The genus Forsythia belongs to the tribe Forsythieae within the family Oleaceae.

There are about 13 Forsythia species, here with her spread: