Lonicera fragrantissima
Fragrant Honeysuckle ( Lonicera fragrantissima )
The Fragrant Honeysuckle ( Lonicera fragrantissima ), also fragrance Honeysuckle, Winter Honeysuckle or Winter Honeysuckle is a plant from the family of the Honeysuckle family ( Caprifoliaceae ). She comes natively ago in China, however, is widely used as an ornamental plant over their natural occurrence beyond. With the generic name Linnaeus honored the German mathematician, physician and botanist Adam Lonitzer. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word fragans with the English meaning fragrant and refers, as well as the German common name, to the intense jasmine-scented flowers of the plant.
- 6.1 Notes and references
Description
Habit
The Fragrant Honeysuckle usually grows as an upright, loosely branched and deciduous shrub. Occasionally, densely branched forms or those observed with low- lying branches. The Fragrant Honeysuckle has a bushy - rounded silhouette, its plant height is about one to two meters. The flexible branches are berindet light gray, with older peeling off the bark. The ocher- brown bark of young branches is usually lined with reflexed bristles. Unlike other Lonicera species, which have hollow branches, the branches of the Fragrant Honeysuckle contain a full cord.
Buds and leaves
The winter buds of Fragrant Honeysuckle are rounded in shape. A pair of cartilaginous, tapered outer scales wrapped protectively long outgrowing membranous inner bud scales.
The leaves are arranged on opposite sides. The petiole is covered with rough hair and is about two to five millimeters long. The leaf blade develops a length of about 3 to 8.5 inches and a width of 1 to 4.5 inches. The Spreitengestalt may vary. It varies in shape from ovate to obovate about lanceolate. The leaf base includes transitions from almost heart-shaped to wedge-shaped. The leaf tip is rounded to pointed. The leaf margin is entire margins ciliate or nearly bald. Sometimes he rolls easily down. The color of the lower leaf surface decreases compared with the pale to deep green leaf surface often somewhat paler and dull. Leaf top and bottom can be glabrous to finely pubescent or covered with rough hair. Often developed on the Vein a fine pubescence.
Inflorescence and flowers
In each case a flower couple is standing together in an axillary inflorescence. This is formed in the leaf axils, which are located at the base of new shoots. The peduncle is 1 to 15 millimeters long and not thickened towards the tip. He may be bald or hairy and rough. Below the inflorescence are two leaf-like, almost lanceolate, 7-10 mm long bracts. These are often colored green - purple.
The zygomorphe, hermaphrodite, pleasantly scented with jasmine flower of Fragrant Honeysuckle has calyx and corolla. The five sepals are cup-shaped fused together. The shape of the calyx narrows not towards the base. The cup rim is either clipped or lobed evenly. Sometimes he is also covered with fine hairs. The double lip corolla formed of five petals, is about 1 to 1.5 inches long. Their color varies from white to creamy white, the crown is often easily overrun with a pale, washed-out pink color. On its outside, it can be bare or even develop a fine pubescence. The elongated corolla tube is four to five millimeters long. Your inside forms a dense fluffy hair. Toward Kronröhrenbasis it is weak projecting. Near the base of the corolla tube is located inside on the ventral side of the nectary of strong, glandular, seated hair. The upper lip is about 7 millimeters long. It is about lobed to the middle. The lower lip is bent back and about 8 millimeters long. The five stamens have unequal length stamens with yellow anthers dorsally fixed gold. Together with the narrow, barren pen, which is crowned by a capitate stigma, they protrude from the corolla tube. The paired inferior ovary are fused to the middle or slightly above one another.
The flowering period extends from January to April
Fruit and seeds
The fruits are round, attractive colored coral, sometimes salmon-pink berries that are partially (analogous to the ovary ) grow together. A straight- grown berry has a diameter of about one centimeter. The elongated, brown seeds have shallow dimples. They are about 3.5 millimeters long and are slightly flattened. For eating the berries are not suitable. The fruit season extends from April to June.
Distribution and location
The Fragrant Honeysuckle comes natively ago in China. Your stocks are occupied in the provinces of Anhui, Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jianxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan and Zhejiang. Preferred locations are deciduous forests and coppice 100-2700 meters above sea level.
Ecology
The Fragrant Honeysuckle is pollinated by insects and is due to the early flowering time to the first bee food. Even early flying butterflies appreciate the nectar widely offered. The seeds are spread about birds.
System
The Fragrant Honeysuckle Lonicera was fragrantissima Lindl & Paxton 1852 by Lindl. & Paxton described scientifically valid for the first time. It forms two subspecies: subsp. phyllocarpa ( Maxim. ) and subsp. standishii ( Carr. ) Hsu et HJ Wang 98, which is also considered as a separate species.
As varieties of Lonicera are fragrantissima var fragrantissima and Lonicera var lancifolia ( Rehder ) QE Yang. Landrein, Borosova & J. Osborne occupied, which differ in width and shape of the leaves of Lonicera fragrantissima Lindl & Paxton.
Use
Although not native to Europe, it is a popular ornamental plant in parks and facilities. In horticulture, it is often recommended as an aromatic plant in the group or solitary standing. Despite their hardiness, they should be planted in sheltered places. Immediately after flowering, recommends thinning. The multiplication can be performed easily by stolons or cuttings.