Edit Plant: Symphoricarpos

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'''''Symphoricarpos''''' is a small genus of about 15 species of [[deciduous]] [[shrub]]s in the [[honeysuckle]] family, [[Caprifoliaceae]]. All but one are natives of [[North America]] and [[Central America]]; the one remaining is from western [[China]]. Its common names in English are '''Snowberry''' and '''Waxberry'''. The [[leaf|leaves]] are 1.5–5&nbsp;cm long, rounded, entire or with one or two lobes at the base. The [[flower]]s are small, greenish-white to pink, in small clusters of 5–15 together in most species, solitary or in pairs in some (e.g. ''S. microphyllus''). The [[fruit]] are conspicuous, 1–2&nbsp;cm in diameter, soft, varying from white (e.g. ''S. albus'') to pink (''[[Symphoricarpos microphyllus|S. microphyllus]]'') to red (''[[Symphoricarpos orbiculatus|S. orbiculatus]]'') and in one species (''[[Symphoricarpos sinensis|S. sinensis]]''), blackish purple. Common Snowberry (''[[Symphoricarpos albus|S. albus]]'') is an important winter food source for [[quail]], [[pheasant]], and [[grouse]], but is considered poisonous to humans. Ingesting the berries causes mild symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and slight [[sedation]] in children. Common snowberry is a popular [[ornamental plant|ornamental shrub]] in [[garden]]s, grown for its decorative white fruit. There are two varieties, ''S. albus'' var. ''albus'', native to eastern North America, and ''S. albus'' var. ''laevigatus'' native to the Pacific coast. The latter is a larger shrub, up to 2 m tall, and with slightly larger fruit; it is treated as a distinct species ''S. rivularis'' by some [[botanist]]s. When the white berries are broken open, the fruit inside looks like fine, sparkling granular snow. {{Inc| Symphoricarpos (Greek, symphorein, to bear together and karpos, fruit, referring to the clustered fruits). Sometimes spelled Symphoricarpus. Syn., Symphoria. Caprifoliaceae. Snowberry. Ornamental shrubs grown chiefly for their attractive fruits. Deciduous upright or rarely prostrate shrubs: lvs. opposite, entire, or on vigorous shoots often sinuately dentate or lobed, exstipulate: fls. short-pedicelled, in terminal or axillary clusters or spikes or sometimes solitary; calyx 4-5-toothed; corolla campanulate or tubular, 4-5-lobed; stamens 4-5, included or somewhat exserted, style slender with capitate stigma; ovary with 2 fertile and 2 sterile cells: fr. a 2-seeded berry.—About 15 species in N. Amer., south to Mex. and 1 in W. China; many of the American species are closely related and difficult to distinguish. The snowberries are low or medium-sized shrubs with slender upright or decumbent stems, spreading more or less by suckers, with small generally oval or ovate leaves and small clustered, rarely solitary, white or pink flowers followed by attractive usually white, rarely pink, dark red or bluish black berries. The flowers are rather insignificant in most species except in S. oreophilus, S. microphyllus and allied species which bear larger tubular nodding flowers and are rather attractive when in bloom. The chief ornamental feature is the fruits which are usually white and retained far into the winter; among the handsomest are S. albus var. laevigatus with heavy clusters of snowy white fruits at the tips of the arching branches, and S. orbiculatus with dark red fruits densely clustered along the slender branches and remaining plump and fresh far into the winter, its foliage also remaining unchanged until severe frost sets in. Some species, as S. albus, S. orbiculatus, and S. occidentalis, are quite hardy North, while S. mollis, S. rotundifolius, and S. oreophilus are hardy as far north as Massachusetts; S. microphyllus is tender. They are excellent plants for borders of shrubberies and for covering the ground under trees, spreading more or less by suckers; they will thrive in almost any soil from heavy clay to dry gravelly banks. Propagation is readily effected by hardwood and by greenwood cuttings, by division, and also by seeds. S. longiflorus. Gray. Allied to S. oreophilus: lvs. smaller and narrower, acute at both ends: fls. slender, 1/2 in. long; style pubescent. Calif. to Utah and N. Mex.—S. mollis, Gray. Closely allied to S. acutus, but lvs. oval to suborbicular, obtuse. Calif. The plant cult. under this name is usually S. acutus.—S. sinensis, Rehd. Slender glabrous shrub, to 5 ft.: lvs. oval to rhombic-ovate, 1/2 – 1 in. long: fls. in terminal peduncled spikes; corolla campanulate, white: fr. bluish black, bloomy. W. China. Has proved hardy at the Arnold Arboretum.—S. vaccinioides, Rydb. Allied to S. rotundifolius: lvs. elliptic, acute at both ends, puberulous or glabrescent: fls. small. Wash. to Wyo. and Utah. }} ==Cultivation== ===Propagation=== ===Pests and diseases=== ==Species== ;Selected species: *''[[Symphoricarpos acutus]]'', Sharpleaf snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos albus]]'', Common snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos × chenaultii]]'' *''[[Symphoricarpos guadalupensis]]'', McKittrick's snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos hesperius]]'', Trailing snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos longiflorus]]'', Desert snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos mexicanus]]'', Mexican snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos microphyllus]]'', Littleleaf snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos mollis]]'', Creeping snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos occidentalis]]'', Western snowberry or Wolfberry (the latter unrelated to the [[Wolfberry|Lycium species]] of the same name). *''[[Symphoricarpos orbiculatus]]'', Coralberry *''[[Symphoricarpos oreophilus]]'', Mountain snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos palmeri]]'', Palmer's snowberry *''[[Symphoricarpos rotundifolius]]'', Roundleaf snowberry *''[[Syagrus sancona]]'' *''[[Symphoricarpos sinensis]]'', Chinese coralberry ==Gallery== <gallery perrow=5> File:Symphoricarpos_albus_3049.JPG|''[[Symphoricarpos albus]]'' flowers Image:Coralberry.jpg|''[[Symphoricarpos orbiculatus]]'' fruits, mid-October Image:Lonicera symphoricarpos Ypey55.jpg| ''[[Symphoricarpos vulgaris]]'' . Drawn by Eersde Deel, 1813. Image:Coralberries.JPG|''Symphoricarpos orbiculatus'' fruits in winter Image:Coral berries in prairie.JPG|''Symphoricarpos orbiculatus'' fruits in autumn </gallery> ==References== <references/> <!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 --> <!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 --> <!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 --> ==External links== *{{wplink}} {{stub}} __NOTOC__

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