Myoporum

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Myoporum >

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Read about Myoporum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Myoporum (Greek words referring to the translucent resinous dots in the leaves). Myoporaceae. Cool house shrubs, more or less heath-like, grown for the small white or purplish flowers; some are trees. Erect and tall, or diffuse, glabrous or glutinous: lvs. alternate, rarely opposite, entire or toothed, with pellucid glands: fls. axillary, usually clustered, small or medium-sized, mostly white; calyx 5-cut or 5-parted; corolla somewhat bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, the tube very short or long; lobes usually 5, nearly equal or the anterior perhaps larger; stamens 4, or sometimes 5-6; ovary 2-10-celled: fr. a small more or less succulent drupe.—Species 25-30, Austral.. New Zeal., China, Japan, Pacific Isls. The genus is divided by Bentham & Hooker into 5 sections based on the shape of the fls., the number of the corolla-lobes and stamens, and the number of cells in the ovary. Usually the calyx-segms. are small and narrow, but in one section they are leafy. One of the species (known in cult.as M. parvifolium) was once a favorite heath-like plant in France. In 1883 it was stated in the Garden that for 20 years many thousand plants of it had been sold annually in the flower- markets of Paris. One grower always had a stock of 30,000 plants. The plants were grown in small pots for room and window decoration in spring. "It is most beautiful as seen with its pale green branches drooping gracefully around the pot sides, and more especially so when the shoots are wreathed with sweet, snow-white blossoms." Prop. by cuttings taken in spring. This species is practically unknown in Amer. Some of them are said to be useful in Calif. for planting near the sea- coast. The American gardener may get some general suggestions from the experience recorded under Epacris and Erica. M. pictum and M. verrucosum are mentioned in lists, but their botanical standing is uncertain. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

Gallery

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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