Periploca (plant)

Smooth round sling ( Periploca laevigata ), Tenerife

The tree loops ( Periploca ) are a genus of the subfamily Periplocoideae that the Hundsgiftgewächse family ( Apocynaceae ) has been allocated. Two species are cultivated in Central Europe as ornamental plants.

Description

Tree loops are usually twining or rarely erect, bare shrubs, reach stature heights of several meters. The opposite, stalked or sitting leaves are evergreen or fall off during dry periods; in a few species they are reduced to scales. The shape of the leaf blade ranges from elliptic to ovate. The length is between about 1.5 to 10 cm, the width of 0.2 to 5 cm.

The zymösen inflorescences are formed in the leaf axils and at the ends of the branches. Average 3-15 stalked flowers are in loose groups. The hermaphrodite, five petals have a diameter of about 1 to 2.4 cm. The five sepals are free. The five petals are rounded and elongated at the top. You are at margins yellowish - green with dark red or brown midsection or even uniform. The corona is dark brown, purple or yellowish. It is a circle with five free stamens present with short, wide stamens.

The most twisted to each other at an obtuse or acute angle ( " horn-shaped " ) arranged, spindle-shaped, smooth follicles are usually 10-20 cm long, in extreme cases, up to 45 cm. The elongated seeds are sometimes quite large (3 to 14 mm long and 1 to 2.5 mm wide) and have at the top of a 20 to 25 mm long hair.

Dissemination

The genus Periploca occurs in Cape Verde, the Canary Islands, North Africa, southern Europe and Asia Minor, the Caucasus Mountains and the Arabian peninsula, along the East African Rift, from Ethiopia to Malawi and from South Iran via Pakistan and the Himalayas to China.

System

The first description of the genus by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum was published in 1753. He wrote to Joseph Pitton de Tournefort the name.

There are currently 14 recognized Periploca species, spread over two sections. In regional floras some subspecies be upgraded to species:

  • Sect. Periploca Periploca angustifolia Labill.
  • Periploca aphylla Decne.
  • Periploca calophylla ( Wight ) Falc. (including Periploca floribunda Tsiang Periploca forrestii Schltr. )
  • Greek or Oriental Tree sling round sling ( Periploca graeca L.)
  • Periploca gracilis Boiss. ( = Cyprinia gracilis ( Boiss. ) Browicz )
  • Smooth round sling ( Periploca laevigata Aiton )
  • Periploca linearifolia Quart. -Dill. & A.Rich.
  • Chinese treesling ( Periploca sepium Bunge)
  • Periploca somaliense Browicz
  • Periploca visciformis ( Vatke ) K.Schum.
  • Periploca acuminata Rahman & Wilcock
  • Periploca hydaspidis Falc.
  • Periploca nigrescens Afzel.
  • Periploca tsangii D.Fang & H.Z.Ling

Probably not to the genus belongs Periploca purpurea Kerr from Thailand.

Asterids Gentianales List of islands of Cape Verde Agricultural Research Service
109246
de