Cleyera japonica Thunb.

TSO logo

Sponsor this page

For information about how you could sponsor this page, see How You Can Help

Credits

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

Recommended citation
'Cleyera japonica' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/cleyera/cleyera-japonica/). Accessed 2024-03-29.

Genus

Synonyms

  • C. ochnacea DC.
  • Eurya ochnacea (DC.) Szysz.

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

alternate
Attached singly along the axis not in pairs or whorls.
apex
(pl. apices) Tip. apical At the apex.
axil
Angle between the upper side of a leaf and the stem.
berry
Fleshy indehiscent fruit with seed(s) immersed in pulp.
entire
With an unbroken margin.
glabrous
Lacking hairs smooth. glabrescent Becoming hairless.
ovate
Egg-shaped; broadest towards the stem.
style
Generally an elongated structure arising from the ovary bearing the stigma at its tip.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

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

Recommended citation
'Cleyera japonica' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/cleyera/cleyera-japonica/). Accessed 2024-03-29.

An evergreen shrub or small tree to about 12 ft high, glabrous in all its parts. Leaves alternate, leathery, entire, narrow-oblong to ovate-oblong, 234 to 4 in. long, 45 to 135 in. wide, bluntly pointed at the apex, narrowly wedge-shaped at the base, glossy deep green above, paler beneath; leaf-stalks to 45 in. long. Flowers white to yellowish white, about 12 in. across, borne singly or up to three together in each leaf-axil on the previous year’s wood, or on short spurs; flower-stalks 25 to 35 in. long, with two small early deciduous bracteoles; sepals five, rounded, about 18 in. long; petals rather fleshy, narrow-oblong; stamens numerous, anthers bearded; style with two or three stigmas. Fruit a pea-sized berry, red ripening to black.

Native of Japan, Formosa, Korea, China, Burma, Assam and of the Himalaya as far west as Nepal. As might be expected from so wide a distribution, the species is very variable. The plants in cultivation seem to fall under one or other of two varieties, namely:


var. japonica

Synonyms
C. japonica var. kaempferiana (DC.) Sealy
C. ochnacea var. kaempferiana DC

This has relatively small leaves (blades mostly 2 to 2{2/5} in. by {7/8} to 1{1/5} in. and petioles {1/4} to {1/3} in. long), shorter flower-stalks {1/4} to {2/5} (rarely {1/2}) in. long and a smaller calyx; this is native in Japan.

var. wallichiana (DC.) Sealy

Synonyms
C. ochnacea var. wallichiana DC

This variety has longer leaves (blades 2{2/5} to 3{2/5} in. by 1{1/5} to 1{3/5} in. and petioles {1/3} to {2/5} in. long); flower-stalks {1/2} to 1 in. long and calyx larger. Native of China and Nepal. Bot. Mag., t. 9606.C. japonica was once grown in greenhouses for its handsome evergreen foliage and fragrant flowers, which are borne in June-July, and for its long-lasting red fruits. The Japanese variety should be hardy in a sheltered position except in the coldest parts of the country. There are several plants in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, some of them raised from seed sent by Forrest under field number 16080. Some plants grown as C. japonica or ochnacea may be Eurya japonica, which is easily distinguished by its rather inconspicuous unisexual flowers and toothed leaves. See also Ternstroemia gymnanthera.