Abeliophyllum Nakai (1919) in the family Oleaceae, contains 1 species, A. distichum Nakai, in Korea. Description Shrub to 2m. The leaves are opposite, deciduous, simple, usually toothed. The flowers are white, often flushed with pink, bisexual, in short clusters in the axils of the previous year’s leaves. Sepals 4, joined at the base. Petals 4, joined at the base, sometimes reflexed, around 1.5cm long. Stamens 2, in the mouth of the tube. Ovary superior, 2-celled, with 1 ovule per cell; style with 2-lobed stigma. Pollination is by insects. The fruits are 2-celled capsules, winged all round. Key Recognition Features A shrub like a small, delicate Forsythia with white flowers. Evolution and Relationships Related to Forsythia and Jasminum. Ecology and Geography In scrub on dry hills in Korea. Comment A very attractive shrub, hardy and easily grown; in cold areas it needs a sheltered wall to flower well, and the buds are susceptible to late frosts. |
