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Ardisia japonica 'Dragon Brocade'

Interesting Facts

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Description

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Family Primulaceae

Herbs perennial or annual , rarely suffruticose . Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled , often all basal, simple , entire to lobed . Flowers solitary or in panicles, racemes , or umbels, usually with bracts, perfect , (4- or) 5(--9) -merous, often heterostylous (Primula) . Calyx persistent . Corolla gamopetalous, actinomorphic , rarely absent (Glaux) . Stamens as many as and opposite corolla lobes , ± epipetalous , occasionally with scalelike staminodes. Filaments free or connate into a tube at base . Ovary superior, rarely semi-inferior (Samolus), unilocular ; placentation free central; style simple; stigma inconspicuous, capitate. Fruit a capsule, dehiscing by valves , rarely circumscissile or indehiscent. Seeds many or few; embryo small, straight, surrounded by endosperm.

The family contains 22 genera and ca. 1000 species, occurring mainly in temperate and mountainous regions of the northern hemisphere. Twelve genera and 517 species are widely distributed throughout China, but are represented mostly in the S and W regions. The centers of diversity for Primula, Androsace, and Omphalogramma are W Sichuan, E Xizang, and NW Yunnan. Lysimachia is also highly developed in provinces S of the Chang Jiang, while Pomatosace is an endemic genus confined to a small area of NW Sichuan and Qinghai.

Many species of Primula and Androsace are cultivated for their attractive flowers as pot plants , in rock gardens, or in garden borders . Some species of Lysimachia are used medicinally. Cyclamen persicum Miller is frequently cultivated as a pot plant.[1]

Genus Ardisia

Trees , shrubs , suffrutescent [or rarely herbs]. Leaves alternate or pseudoverticillate , usually punctate or punctate-lineate. Inflorescences paniculate , cymose , corymbose , or umbellate , rarely racemose. Flowers bisexual , often punctate, 5- or rarely 4-merous. Calyx campanulate or cupular; sepals free or barely united at base , imbricate or quincuncial, usually punctate or punctate-lineate. Corolla campanulate, often punctate; lobes united at base, overlapping to right or very rarely to left, imbricate, or quincuncial, often conical in bud. Stamens attached at base or middle of corolla tube ; filaments very short, broad at base; anthers dehiscing longitudinally or by apical pores . Ovary ovoid or subglobose, as long as or longer than petals; ovules 3 to many. Style base persistent; stigma minute, apiculate . Fruit drupaceous , 1-seeded, punctate, sometimes longitudinally ribbed , with somewhat fleshy exocarp and crusty or slightly bony endocarp. Seeds covered by membranous remnants of placenta.

About 400-500 species: primarily tropical E and SE Asia, Americas, Australia, and Pacific Islands; 65 species in China.[2]

Physical Description

Habit: Evergreen .

Flowers: Bloom Period: June. • Flower Color: near white, white

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 6-12" tall.

Biology

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Growth

Culture: Space 15-18" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.1 • Maximum pH: 6.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Similar Species

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Members of the genus Ardisia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 19 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

A. crenata (Coral Ardisia) · A. crispa (Ardisia) · A. densilepidotula (Jun-Aug) · A. elliptica (Shoe-Button Ardisia) · A. escallonioides (Marlberry) · A. escallonoides (Island Marlberry) · A. glauciflora (Ausubon) · A. japonica (Japanese Ardisia) · A. japonica 'Chirimen' (Chirimen Marlberry) · A. lateriflora (Quiebrahacha) · A. luquillensis (Mountain Marlberry) · A. obovata (Guadeloupe Marlberry) · A. opaca (Mala Sombra) · A. pulverulenta (Blossomberry Grape) · A. revoluta (Ardisia) · A. solanacea (Jet Berry) · A. standleyana (Frutita De Paloma) · A. subsessilifolia (Hoja Lisa) · A. wallichii (Ardisia)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Qiming Hu & Sylvia Kelso "Primulaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 39. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Ardisia". in Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 10. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 2012-07-28