Forsythia
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 Forsythia x intermedia
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Forsythia is the common name and genus name for a taxon of deciduous shrubs in the flowering plantfamily Oleaceae (olive family), popularly cultivated for their early-blooming, bell-shaped, yellow flowers, which in some species appear before the leaves.
Forsythia comprise a small genus of about eleven species, mostly native to eastern Asia, but one native to southeastern Europe. However, there also are a number of hybrids and cultivars, many of which are popular ornamental plants.
Description
The plant family to which forsythia belong, Oleaceae, or olive family, contains around 24 extant genera and around 600 species of mesophytic shrubs, trees, and occasionally vines. As shrubs, members of this family may be twine climbers, or scramblers.
The family is characterized by opposite leaves that may be simple or compound (either pinnate or ternate), without stipule. Alternate or whorled arrangements are rarely observed. The lamina are pinnately-veined and can be serrate, dentate, or entire at margin. The leaves may be either deciduous or evergreen, with evergreen species predominating in warm temperate and tropical regions, and deciduous species predominating in colder regions.
The flowers of Oleaceae species are most often bisexual and actinomorphic, occurring in panicles, racemes, or panicles, and often fragrant. The calyx, which may or may not be present, and the corolla are synsepalous and four-lobed. The androecium has 2 stamens inserted in the perigynous zone and alternate with the lobes. The stigmas are two-lobed. The gynoecium consists of a compound pistil with two carpels. The ovary is superior with two locules, each of which bearing two axillary ovules. Sometimes the base of the ovary is circled by a nectary disk. The plants are most often hermaphrodite but sometimes polygamomonoecious.
Forsythia is the common name for any of the deciduous shrubs comprising the genus Forsythia. These plants typically grow to a height of one to three meters (three to nine feet), and rarely up to six meters (eighteen feet), with rough gray-brown bark. The leaves are opposite, usually simple but sometimes trifoliate with a basal pair of small leaflets, and range from two to ten centimeters (on to four inches) in length and, rarely, up to fifteen centimeters (six inches). The margin is serrated or entire (FOC; Huxley 1992).
The flowers generally are produced in the early spring before the leaves. They are bright yellow with a deeply four-lobed corolla, with the petals joined only at the base. The fruit is a dry capsule, containing several winged seeds (FOC; Huxley 1992).
Forsythia is named after William Forsyth (1737-1804), who in 1804 was one of the founders of the Horticultural Society of London, which is now known as the Royal Horticultural Society. Prior to this, William Forsyth served as a gardener to King George II at Kensignton and St. Jame's Places, after serving as gardener to the Duke of northumberland at Syon House and Curator of Chelsea Physic Garden (Mitchell 2001).
Species, hybrids, and cultivars
Species
- Forsythia europaea Degen & Bald. Balkans in Albania and Kosovo.
- Forsythia giraldiana Lingelsh. Northwest China.
- Forsythia japonica Makino. Japan.
- Forsythia likiangensis Ching & Feng ex P.Y.Bai. Southwest China.
- Forsythia mandschurica Uyeki. Northeast China.
- Forsythia mira M.C.Chang. North central China.
- Forsythia nakaii (Uyeki) T.B.Lee. Korea.
- Forsythia ovata Nakai. Korea.
- Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl. Eastern and central China.
- Forsythia togashii H.Hara. Japan (Shōdoshima).
- Forsythia viridissima Lindley. Eastern China.
A genetic study[6] does not fully match the traditionally accepted species listed above, and groups the species in four clades: (1) F. suspensa; (2) F. europaea — F. giraldiana; (3) F. ovata — F. japonica — F. viridissima; and (4) F. koreana — F. mandschurica — F. saxatilis. Of the additional species, F. koreana is usually cited as a variety of F. viridissima, and F. saxatilis as a variety of F. japonica;[7] the genetic evidence suggests they may be better treated as distinct species.
Hybrids and cultivars
Describe the various hybrids and cultivars in this section (use content from section below)
hybrids and cultivars — put above and add F. 'Lynwood' and its discrition The hybrids Forsythia × intermedia (F. suspensa × F. viridissima) and Forsythia × variabilis (F. ovata × F. suspensa) have been produced in cultivation.[3]
Two are commonly cultivated for ornament, Forsythia × intermedia and Forsythia suspensa. They are both spring flowering shrubs, with yellow flowers. They are grown and prized for being tough, reliable garden plants. Forsythia × intermedia is the more commonly grown, is smaller, has an upright habit, and produces strongly coloured flowers. Forsythia suspensa is a large to very large shrub, can be grown as a weeping shrub on banks, and has paler flowers. Many named garden cultivars can also be found.[3]
Cultivation and uses
Forsythias are popular early spring flowering shrubs in gardens and parks.
Commercial propagation is usually by cuttings, taken from green wood after flowering in late spring to early summer; alternatively, cuttings may be taken between November and February.[3]
F. suspensa (Chinese: 连翘; pinyin: liánqiào) is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Chinese herbology. Forsythia sticks are used to bow a Korean string instrument called ajaeng.
A Forsythia shrub
Forsythia × intermedia flowers and young leaves
A Forsythia flower
The large size of a single, 50-year old Forsythia
Forsythias are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Brown-tail and The Gothic.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedstabg - ↑ University of Oxford, Oleaceae information site: Forsythia
- ↑ Kim, K.-J. (1999). Molecular phylogeny of Forsythia (Oleaceae) based on chloroplast DNA variation. P. Syst. Evol. 218: 113-123. Abstract.
- ↑ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Forsythia
- Flora of China: Forsythia
FOC Vol. 15 Page 279
- Flora Europaea: [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Forsythia&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK=
- Mitchell, B. 2001 Plant of the Month (April): Forsythia x intermedia 'Lynwood'. St. Andrews Botanic Garden. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
External links
- BBC - Forsythia page
- Royal Horticultural Society
- Forsythia viridissima Vanderbilt University - Forsythia page
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- ↑ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
