Callicarpa
Redirect to:
Callicarpa (Greek, beauty and fruit). Verbenaceae. Ornamental woody plants cultivated chiefly for their brightly colored berry-like fruit appearing late in autumn; also for the attractive flowers which appear in summer. Flowers perfect; calyx short-campanulate, truncate or slightly 4-toothed, rarely 4-parted; corolla with short tube, 4-lobed; stamens 4, of equal length; ovary 4-celled, cells 1-ovuled: fr. a subglobose berry-like drupe with 2-4 stones.—More than 30 species in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Austral., N. and Cent, Amer. Callicarpas are shrubs or trees, often with stellate hairs, with opposite, usually serrate, deciduous leaves and small pink, bluish or whitish flowers in axillary clusters, followed in autumn by small berry-like lilac, violet or red, rarely white fruits. The hardiest are C. purpurea, C. japonica and C. Giraldii, which may be grown even North in sheltered positions, if somewhat protected during the winter. If killed to the ground, young shoots spring up vigorously, and will produce flowers and fruit in the same season. If grown in the greenhouse, they require a sandy compost of loam and peat, and plenty of light and air. Propagation is readily- effected by greenwood cuttings in spring or summer under glass; also by hardwood cuttings, layers and seeds.
