Viburnum

? Viburnum
Viburnum opulus
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Dipsacales Family: Adoxaceae Genus: Viburnum L.
Species
See text

Viburnum davidii, an evergreen species from China

Leaves of Viburnum rhytidophyllum, an evergreen species from China; upper side left, lower side right. Leaves are 23 cm long.

Viburnum opulus (Guelder-rose) - from Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885

Viburnum (Viburnum) is a genus of about 150-175 species of shrubs or (in a few species) small trees that were previously included in the family Caprifoliaceae. Genetic tests by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group showed however that they are correctly classified in the family Adoxaceae.

They are native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with a few species extending into tropical montane regions in South America and southeast Asia. In Africa, the genus is confined to the Atlas Mountains.

The leaves are opposite, simple, and entire, toothed or lobed; cool temperate species are deciduous, while most of the warm temperate species are evergreen. Some species are densely hairy on the shoots and leaves, with star-shaped hairs.

The flowers are produced in corymbs 5-15 cm across, each flower white to cream or pink, small, 3-5 mm across, with five petals, strongly fragrant in some species. The gynoecium has 3 connate carpels with the nectary on top of the gynoecium. Some species also have a fringe of large, showy sterile flowers round the perimeter of the corymb to act as a pollinator target.

The fruit is a spherical, oval or somewhat flattened drupe, red to purple, blue, or black, and containing a single seed; they are eaten by birds and other wildlife, and some are edible for humans (though many others are mildly poisonous to people). The leaves are sometimes eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Viburnum.

Species

About 150 species are known, including the following:

Viburnum acerifolium - Maple-leaf Viburnum Viburnum atrocyaneum Viburnum betulifolium Viburnum bitchiuense Viburnum bracteatum Viburnum buddleifolium Viburnum burejaeticum Viburnum calvum Viburnum carlesii - Korean Spice Viburnum Viburnum cassinoides - Witherod Viburnum Viburnum cinnamonifolium Viburnum cordifolium Viburnum corylifolium Viburnum cotinifolium Viburnum cylindricum Viburnum dasyanthum Viburnum davidii Viburnum dentatum - Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dilatatum - Linden Viburnum Viburnum edule Viburnum ellipticum Viburnum erosum Viburnum erubescens Viburnum farreri - Farrer's Viburnum Viburnum foetens Viburnum foetidum Viburnum furcatum Viburnum grandiflorum - Himalayan Viburnum Viburnum harryanum Viburnum henryi Viburnum hirtum Viburnum hupehense Viburnum ichangense Viburnum japonicum Viburnum kansuense Viburnum lantana - Wayfaring Tree

Viburnum lantanoides - Hobblebush or Witch Hobble Viburnum lentago - Nannyberry Viburnum lobophyllum Viburnum macrocephalum Viburnum molle Viburnum mongolicum Viburnum mullaha Viburnum nudum - Smooth witherod viburnum Viburnum odoratissimum [[Viburn um opulus]] - Guelder-rose Viburnum orientale Viburnum phlebotrichum Viburnum plicatum - Japanese Snowball Viburnum Viburnum propinquum Viburnum prunifolium - Blackhaw Viburnum rafinesquianum Viburnum recognitum Viburnum rhytidophyllum - Crinkle-leaf Viburnum Viburnum rigidum Viburnum rufidulum - Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum sargentii Viburnum schensianum Viburnum sempervirens Viburnum setigerum - Tea Viburnum Viburnum sieboldii - Siebold's Viburnum Viburnum suspensum Viburnum sympodiale Viburnum ternatum Viburnum tinus - Laurustinus Viburnum Viburnum trilobum - Highbush Viburnum Viburnum urceolatum Viburnum utile - Service Viburnum Viburnum veitchii Viburnum venosum Viburnum wilsonii Viburnum wrightii - Wright viburnum

Cultivation and uses

Many species of viburnum have become popular as garden or landscape plants because of their showy flowers and berries and generally good autumn colour. Some popular species, hybrids, and cultivars include:

• The hybrid Viburnum × bodnantense (V. farreri × V. grandiflorum) is particularly popular for its strongly scented pink flowers on the leafless deciduous shoots in mid to late winter.
• Viburnum × burkwoodii (V. carlesii × V. utile)
• Viburnum × carlcephallum (V. carlesii × V. macrocephalum)
• Viburnum carlesii has flowers that look somewhat like snowballs, excellent fragrance, dense structure, and reddish leaves in autumn.
• Viburnum davidii is an evergreen species from China with blue fruit.
• Viburnum dentatum has flat-topped flowers, bluish fruit, and reddish leaves in autumn. It is somewhat salt tolerant. The cultivar 'Blue Muffin' is more compact than the species and has fruit that are a deeper blue than the species.
• Viburnum dilatatum has flat-topped flowers, reddish leaves in autumn, and bright red fruit that persist into winter.
• Viburnum × juddii (V. bitchiuense × V. carlesii)
• Viburnum plicatum has white, snowball-like flowers, textured leaves, reddish-black fruit, and can grow quite large under ideal conditions. The species can tolerate shade, but not drought. The variety tomentosum has flat-topped flowers but is otherwise the same as the species.
• Viburnum × pragense (V. rhytidophyllum × V. utile)
• Viburnum × rhytidophylloides (V. lantana × V. rhytidophyllum)
• Viburnum rhytidophyllum is a popular evergreen species, grown mainly for its foliage effect of large, dark green leathery leaves with strongly wrinkled surface. This is the parent species of two popular hybrid cultivars known as 'Alleghany' and 'Pragense'. 'Alleghany' was selected from a hybrid between V. rhytidophyllum and V. lantana 'Mohican' (in 1958, at the US National Arboretum).
• Viburnum setigerum has upright, coarse structure and orange to reddish-orange fruit.
• Viburnum sieboldii has coarse, open structure, flat-topped flowers, reddish-black fruit, and can grow as a small tree.

In prehistory, the long straight shoots of viburnums were used for arrow-shafts, as those found with Ötzi the Iceman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Known_viburnums_in_cultivation.pdf After clicking on this link, right-click on the PDF icon and choose Save Target As.