Osmanthus americanus

American Osmanthus ( Osmanthus americanus)

The American Osmanthus ( Osmanthus americanus), also known as American oil tree and in English as " Devil Wood Osmanthus " or " Devil Wood", is a species of the genus of fragrant blooming ( Osmanthus ) in the family Oleaceae ( Oleaceae ).

Description

The American Osmanthus grows as evergreen shrub, rarely as a small tree. It is slow-growing, reaching heights of growth 4-7 meters, rarely up to 15 meters. The bark is gray-brown. The bark of the slender branches is green and densely covered with rusty-brown scales. The opposite, leathery leaves are with a length of 5 to 12 cm and a width of 2 to 4 cm wide, elliptic to obovate. The leaf margin is smooth wavy and bent back to something. The Leaves are bluish- green and the lower leaf surface is much brighter and rusty or scaly.

The flowering time is in early spring. On twigs of the previous year, the flowers are in small groups in the leaf axils. The relatively small, highly fragrant flowers are urn- shaped, 1 cm long. The five white petals are fused and are covered with many bright brown scales.

The dark blue when ripe stone fruits are 1 to 2 cm in size and are similar in appearance olives. The fruits ripen in autumn and are eaten by birds and squirrels and other mammals.

Occurrence

The American Osmanthus is native to the southeastern United States from Texas to Virginia. Deposits are found in the following U.S. States: Southern Alabama, Florida, Georgia, southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, eastern North Carolina, South Carolina and southeastern Virginia. In addition, the range of this species extends further to the south in the Mexican states of Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Oaxaca.

Preferred natural sites of the American Osmanthus are dry forests near rivers.

System

The American Osmanthus was first published in 1767 by Carl Linnaeus, under the name Olea americana in Mantissa plantarum, 1, p 24. The currently valid name Osmanthus americanus published in 1878, George Bentham & Joseph Dalton Hooker in Asa Gray: Synoptical Flora of North America, 2 ( 1 ), pp. 78 more synonyms for Osmanthus americanus (L.) Benth. & Hook. f ex A. Gray are: Amarolea americana (L.) Small, Osmanthus americana (L.) A. Gray, Osmanthus americanus Benth. & Hook. f ex A. Gray var americanus Osmanthus americanus var microphyllus PSGreen, osmanthus mexicanus Lundell, osmanthus floridanus Chapman.

Use

Because of its fragrant flowers the American Osmanthus when planted as an ornamental in parks and gardens.

Swell

• Osmanthus americanus - Data sheet at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College - VirginiaTech. (English )