Calycanthus fertilis Walt.

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Calycanthus fertilis' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/calycanthus/calycanthus-fertilis/). Accessed 2024-04-23.

Genus

Calycanthus

Synonyms

C. glaucus Willd.

Infraspecifics

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

acuminate: Narrowing gradually to a point.
acute: Sharply pointed.
glaucous: Grey-blue often from superficial layer of wax (bloom).
ovate: Egg-shaped; broadest towards the stem.
pubescent: Covered in hairs.
variety: (var.) Taxonomic rank (varietas) grouping variants of a species with relatively minor differentiation in a few characters but occurring as recognisable populations. Often loosely used for rare minor variants more usefully ranked as forms.

References

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Calycanthus fertilis' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/calycanthus/calycanthus-fertilis/). Accessed 2024-04-23.

A shrub of bushy habit, 6 ft or more high. Leaves 3 to 5 in. long, ovate or oval, acute or often acuminate; dark glossy green, and rough above, glaucous and slightly downy beneath. Flowers with little or no scent, 11⁄2 to 21⁄2 in. diameter, the strap-shaped sepals and petals chocolate-purple.

Native of the south-eastern United States, covering some of the same area as C. floridus, with which species it has been much confused. It was brought to England in 1806. The leaves of this species do not possess the aromatic odour so characteristic of the West American species, and the wood is only slightly fragrant. Summer leaf-buds concealed by base of leaf-stalk.

From the Supplement (Vol. V)

It is doubtful whether this is any more than a variety of C. floridus with less pubescent twigs, leaves and petioles. If K. A. Nicely’s treatment is to be followed (Castanea, Vol. 30, pp. 38–81 (1965)), its correct name according to the Code of Botanical Nomenclature now in force (1983) would appear to be C. floridus var. glaucus (Willd.) Torrey & Gray (syns, C. glaucus Willd.; C. laevigatus Willd.; C. inodorus Elliott; and varieties based on these names).

'Nanus'

A dwarf form with smaller leaves, which are green, not glaucous beneath.

var. laevigatus (Willd.) Bean

Synonyms
C. laevigatus Willd

This shrub, by some considered a distinct species, chiefly differs from typical C. fertilis by the leaves being shining green and not downy beneath. Several intermediate forms exist.