Shortia

Shortia uniflora

The Winter Leaves ( Shortia ) are a genus of the family of Diapensiaceae. It comprises only six species, of which five are located in East Asia.

Description

Winter leaves are low-growing, perennial herbaceous plants that form dense clumps or carpets and multiply vegetatively by their rhizomes, their leaves are long-stalked.

The nodding flowers appear singly or in clusters, bracts on the peduncle are available. The petals are fused, their lobes notched up waves. The strongly incurved stamens have two counters, the close approach of the petals to set the staminodes. The style is long and filiform.

Dissemination

In addition to the five species in eastern Asia there is another way in eastern North America ( Shortia galacifolia ).

Systematics and Botanical History

The genus was first described in 1842 by John Torrey and Asa Gray. Since two years earlier Constantine S. Rafinesque - Schmaltz had used the name for a genus within the Brassicaceae, the name of the ICBN was preserved (nom. cons. ). Among the six species are found:

• Galaxblättriges Winter leaf ( Shortia galacifolia Torr & A. Gray. ); it occurs only in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee
• Shortia rotundifolia ( Maxim. ) Makino; it comes in Taiwan at altitudes of 1,000 to 3,000 meters and in Japan ( Ryukyu Islands)
• Shortia sinensis Hemsl. ; it comes only in China ( Southeast Yunnan ) at altitudes from 1000 to 2000 meters before
• Alpenglöckchen like winter leaf ( Shortia soldanelloides ( Siebold & Zucc ) Makino. ); it occurs only in Japan
• Einblütiges Winter leaf ( Shortia uniflora Maxim. ); it occurs only in Japan ( Honshu ).