Daphne (plant)

Daphne
File:Daphne philippi1.jpg
Daphne pontica in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Thymelaeaceae
Genus:	Daphne L.
Species
See text

Daphne (/ˈdæfniː/; Greek: Δάφνη, meaning "laurel") is a genus of between 50 and 95 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to Asia, Europe and north Africa. They are noted for their scented flowers and poisonous berries.

Description

The leaves are undivided, mostly arranged alternately (although opposite in D. genkwa). The flowers lack petals and have four (rarely five) petaloid sepals, tubular at the base with free lobes at the apex. The flowers are grouped, either in clusters in the leaf axils towards the end of the stems or in terminal heads. They range in colour from greenish-yellow to white, bright pink and purple; most of the evergreen species have greenish flowers, while the deciduous species tend to have pink flowers. Many species flower in late winter or very early spring. The fruits are one-seeded drupes, which in some species are fleshy and berry-like, in others dry and leathery.

Selected Species

Daphne acutiloba Daphne alpina L. Daphne altaica Daphne angustiloba Daphne arbuscula Čelak. Daphne arisanensis Daphne aurantiaca Daphne axillaris Daphne bholua Daphne blagayana Freyer Daphne brevituba Daphne calcicola W.W.Sm. Daphne caucasica Daphne championii Daphne cneorum L. Daphne collina Dickson ex J.E.Smith Daphne depauperata Daphne emeiensis Daphne erosiloba Daphne esquirolii Daphne feddei Daphne gemmata Daphne genkwa Daphne giraldii Nitsche Daphne glomerata Lam.

Daphne gnidioides Daphne gnidium Daphne gracilis Daphne grueningiana Daphne holosericea Daphne jasminea Sibth. & Sm. Daphne jezoensis Maxim. ex Regel. Daphne jinyuensis Daphne juliae Kos.-Pol. Daphne kamtschatica Maxim. Daphne kiusiana Daphne kosaninii Daphne laciniata Daphne laureola L. Daphne leishanensis Daphne limprichtii Daphne longilobata Daphne longituba Daphne macrantha Ludlow Daphne malyana Blečić Daphne mezereum L. Daphne modesta Daphne mucronata Daphne myrtilloides

Daphne odora Daphne oleoides Schreb. Daphne papyracea Daphne pedunculata Daphne penicillata Daphne petraea Leyb. Daphne pontica L. Daphne pseudomezereum Daphne purpurascens Daphne retusa Hemsl. Daphne rhynchocarpa Daphne rodriguezii Texidor Daphne rosmarinifolia Daphne sericea Vahl Daphne sophia Daphne striata Tratt. Daphne sureil Daphne tangutica Pritz. – may be treated as a synonym of D. retusa Daphne tenuiflora Daphne tripartita Daphne xichouensis Daphne yunnanensis

Hybrids

Numerous natural and artificial hybrids are cultivated as ornamental plants. These include:

• D. × burkwoodii - D. cneorum × D. caucasica
• D. × hendersonii Hodgkin ex C.D.Brickell – natural hybrid D. petraea × D. cneorum
• D. × napolitana Lodd. has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. – origin not known
• D. × schlyteri – artificial hybrid D. cneorum × D. arbuscula
• D. × thauma Farrer – natural hybrid D. petraea × D. striata

Uses

One species, Daphne papyracea, the Lokta plant, is sustainably harvested in Nepal and Bhutan for paper production.

Many species are cultivated as ornamental shrubs in gardens. The smaller species are used as rock garden plants or, in the case of those more difficult to grow, as plants for the alpine house.

Gallery

• Daphne mezereum0.jpg

  Daphne mezereum in flower

• Daphne odora-ja01.jpg

  Daphne odora in flower

• Daphne striata 100604.jpg

  Daphne striata in flower

• Daphne glomerata Lam.jpg

  Daphne glomerata in flower

External links

• Flora of China: draft text of Daphne (site currently down; available at google cache)
• Flora Europaea: Daphne