Ligustrum japonicum
Branch with leaves and unripe fruits
The Japanese privet ( Ligustrum japonicum) is a small shrub from the family Oleaceae. Its distribution area is located in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Description
The Japanese privet is an evergreen, bushy, 1-3 rarely up to 6 m tall shrub with dense growth and fine dark haired young shoots, which verkahlen later. The branches are covered with Korkporen. The leaves are simple. The leaf blade is leathery, 4-8 cm long, broadly ovate to oblong- ovate, short acuminate, acute or obtuse, usually with a rounded base. The upper leaf surface is dark green, the lower surface pale green. Edge and midrib are often reddened. Each leaf four to five pairs of nerves are formed.
The flowers are about 200 to 600 in 6 to 15 centimeters long, cone-shaped panicles. The stamens do not cover the corolla. The fruits are black berries. The species flowers from July to September.
Distribution and ecology
The natural range is located in the temperate zone of Asia to the Japanese islands of Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and the Ryūkyū Islands, South Korea and Taiwan. There he grows in species-poor forests on dry to fresh, acidic to slightly alkaline, sandy, humus-rich soils in partial shade. The species is usually frost hardy.
Systematics and history of research
The Japanese privet ( Ligustrum japonicum ) is a species of the genus privet ( Ligustrum ) in the family Oleaceae ( Oleaceae ), Tribe Oleeae. It was first described by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1780. A synonym of the species is Ligustrum coriaceum Carrière.
Use
The Japanese privet is used as an ornamental tree because of its decorative flowers. There are several varieties, including the cultivar ' Rotundifolium ' with thick, rounded leaves.