Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana
Leaves of Scheinparrotie ( Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana )
The Scheinparrotie ( Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana ) is a shrub or small tree of the family of the witch hazel family ( Hamamelidaceae ). The branches are stellate hairs, the leaves initially stellate hairs and later glabrous. The fragrant flowers grow in heads, surrounded by white bracts. The distribution area is located in the western Himalayas. The wood is used for making handles, walking sticks and bed frames, baskets are woven from the branches.
Description
The Scheinparrotie is a deciduous, strictly upright up to 7 meters tall shrub or tree with star hairy stems and gray to gray- green branches. The winter buds have two bud scales. The terminal buds are up to 1 cm long, the lateral buds remain small and are short-stalked. Both have two bud scales. The leaves are arranged opposite one another. The stipules are ovate, 3-5 mm long and fall off early. The petiole is 6-12 mm long and consistently stellate hairs. The leaf blade is obovate to roundish, cut 5-8 inches long and clear. The upper leaf surface is initially sparse stellate hairs, the bottom is denser and along veins pubescent binding. The autumn color is dull yellow to golden yellow.
The hermaphroditic and fragrant flowers grow in small terminal and shortly stalked heads, which are surrounded by several white, 1.5 to 2 inches long, projecting and hand brown -haired star bracts. The calyx is covered with dense hair and bell-shaped, the calyx lobes are small. Petals absent. The flower 15 yellow, erect stamens with 3 to 4 millimeters long stamens are formed. The ovary is densely hairy woolly. The fruits are about 1 inch long, two-seeded, horned capsules which can be opened by four flaps. The seeds are 5-6 mm long, elliptical, brown and shiny. The Scheinparrotie blooms from March to May
Distribution and habitat requirements
The natural range is located in the Western Himalaya in eastern Afghanistan, in India in the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and in northern Pakistan. The Scheinparrotie grows in steppes and dry forests on fresh, mildly acidic to mildly alkaline, sandy- loamy to loamy, moderately fertile soil in light to partial shade, cool to cold locations. The species is frost hardy. The distribution area is the hardiness zone 6b associated with mean annual minimum temperatures -20.5 to -17.8 ° C ( -5 ° to 0 ° F).
System
The Scheinparrotie ( Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana ) is the only species of the monotypic genus therefore Parrotiopsis in the family of the witch hazel family ( Hamamelidaceae ). There, the genus of the tribe Fothergilleae in the subfamily Hamamelidoideae is assigned. The species was described in 1844 by Joseph Decaisne as Parrotia jacquemontiana ( basionym ) for the first time scientifically. Alfred Rehder she put 1929 in the genus Parrotiopsis. Another synonym of the species is Parrotiopsis involucrata CK Schneid .. The genus name is derived from the genus name Parrotiopsis the ironwood tree Parrotia and the Greek opsis for " appearance " from. The specific epithet honors the jacquemontiana French explorer Victor Jacque Mont ( 1801-1832 ).
Use
The wood is solid and is used for the production of handles, walking sticks and bed frames. From the branches baskets are woven. The species is sometimes used because of the decorative and scented flowers and striking autumn color as an ornamental shrub.