Celastrus
Staff vine | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Celastrus scandens | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Rosids |
Order: | Celastrales |
Family: | Celastraceae |
Subfamily: | Celastroideae |
Genus: | Celastrus |
Species | |
See text |
Celastrus, commonly known as staff vine, staff tree or bittersweet, is a genus in the Celastraceae family which comprises about 30-40 species of shrubs and vines. They have a wide distribution in East Asia, Australasia, Africa, and the Americas.
![](../I/m/Celastrus_orbiculatus.jpg)
Celastrus orbiculatus
The leaves are alternate and simple, ovoid, and typically 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) long. The flowers are small, white, pink or greenish, and borne in long panicles; the fruit is a three-valved berry.
In North America, they are known as bittersweet, presumably a result of confusion with the unrelated bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) by early colonists. C. orbiculatus is a serious invasive weed in much of eastern North America.
Selected species
- Celastrus angulatus Maxim. - Chinese staff vine
- Celastrus australis - Australian staff vine
- Celastrus dispermus - orange boxwood
- Celastrus flagellaris Rupr.
- Celastrus gemmatus Loes.
- Celastrus hindsii Benth.
- Celastrus monospermus Roxb.
- Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. - Oriental bittersweet
- Celastrus paniculatus Willd. - peng
- Celastrus pyracanthus - South African staff vine
- Celastrus rosthornianus Loes.
- Celastrus scandens L. - American bittersweet
- Celastrus stylosus Wall.
- Celastrus vaniotii (H.Lév.) Rehder[2]
References
- ↑ "Celastrus L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
- ↑ "Species Records of Celastrus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
This article is issued from
Wikipedia.
The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike.
Additional terms may apply for the media files.