Pittosporum tobira
Chinese Pittosporum ( Pittosporum tobira ) with fruits
The Chinese Pittosporum ( Pittosporum tobira ) is a native of East Asia plant species of the genus Pittosporum ( Pittosporum ) in the family of Klebsamengewächse ( Pittosporaceae ).
Description
The Chinese Pittosporum is an evergreen. It grows as a shrub or small tree, reaching heights of growth to about 6 feet. The undivided leaves are shiny and leathery; they are oblong to obovate, about 4-9 inches long and 1.5 to 4 centimeters wide. The petiole is about 2 inches long.
The flowering period extends from March to May The inflorescences are terminal or at least near the ends of branches; there are umbels or umbrella-. The lanceolate bracts are 4-5 mm long. The fragrant flowers are sitting at 1-2 cm long stalks. The sepals are lanceolate and 3-4 millimeters in size. The petals are initially white and later color yellow; they are wrong - lanceolate and 1 to 1.2 inches tall. The ovary is densely hairy. From it, a round fruit capsule of about 1.2 centimeters in diameter developed. The pericarp is yellow-brown, woody and about 1.5 millimeter thick. The capsule fruit contains numerous red and about 4 millimeters large seeds.
Dissemination
The home of the Chinese Klebsamens located in East Asia. In Japan, its range extends over western Honshu, Kyushu over, Shikoku, and the Ryūkyū Islands. Next, it occurs in southern Korea and Taiwan. In China, it occurs in the southeastern province of Fujian; whether this occurrence on the Asian mainland is original, but is not sure.
Today the species is introduced worldwide in climatically suitable regions as an ornamental plant. It tolerates frost to about -5 ° C.
Use
The Chinese Pittosporum is cultivated as an ornamental plant. He is not winter hardy in Central Europe.
System
The species was first described in 1780 by Carl Peter Thunberg under the basionym Euonymus tobira. The botanist William Townsend Aiton placed the species in the genus Pittosporum, thus giving the now acclaimed Umkombination under the name of Pittosporum tobira, which was published in 1811.
Cultivated forms
- 'Variegata': This form has gray-green and creamy white variegated leaves; it is usually only 1.5 meters high.
- ' Wheeler's Dwarf': This form is dwarf and is only about 60 cm high.