Interesting Facts
Common Names
Click on the language to view common names.
Common Names in Chinese:
Mu Xi
Common Names in English:
Fragrant Olive, Fragrant Tea Olive, Kinmokusei in Japan, Sweet Olive, Sweet Osmanthus, Tea Olive
Common Names in French:
Olivier Odorant
Common Names in German:
Duftblüte
Common Names in Japanese:
Gin Mokusei, Gin-Mokusei, Kiu Mokusei, Usugi Mokusei
Common Names in Portuguese:
Flor De Imperator, Flor-Do-Emperador
Description
Family Oleaceae
Trees
or erect
or scandent
shrubs
. Branches and branchlets
lenticellate
. Leaves opposite, rarely alternate or whorled
, simple
, trifoliolate
, or pinnately compound
, without stipules; venation
pinnate or palmate. Inflorescences terminal
or axillary
, in cymes, panicles, racemes
, umbels, or fascicles. Flowers actinomorphic
, bisexual
, rarely unisexual
or polygamous and plants
monoecious, dioecious, or polygamodioecious. Calyx 4(-16) -lobed or -parted, rarely absent. Corolla 4(-16) -lobed, sometimes almost free
to base
, rarely absent; lobes
sometimes united
in pairs at base or into a very short tube
. Stamens 2(-4), inserted
on corolla tube or hypogynous; anthers
dehiscing longitudinally; pollen 3-colpate or 3-colporate. Ovary superior, 2-loculed; ovules 2 in each locule, sometimes 1 or numerous
. Style 1 or absent; stigma 2-lobed or capitate. Fruit a drupe, berry, capsule, or samara. Seeds with straight embryo, with or without endosperm; radicle curved
upward or downward.
About 28 genera and over 400 species: tropical
, subtropical
, and temperate regions
of world, but mainly in Asia. China has 10 genera and 160 species (95 endemic) and is the center of diversity
for the genera Forsythia, Syringa, Osmanthus, and Ligustrum.
Many genera are important economically: Fraxinus and Forsythia (medicinal, ornamental
) ; Jasminum, Osmanthus, and Syringa (spice, ornamental) ; Olea (oil
) ; and Fraxinus (timber) .[1]
Genus Osmanthus
Shrubs
to small trees
, evergreen
. Leaves opposite, simple
, petiolate
; leaf blade
entire or serrate, usually glandular
dotted
. Inflorescences cymose
, fascicled in leaf axils
or in very short and axillary
or terminal
panicles; bracts 2, united
at base
, usually ciliate
. Flowers bisexual
, usually becoming unisexual
and plants
dioecious or androdioecious
. Calyx campanulate
, 4-lobed. Corolla usually white or yellowish, campanulate, cylindric
, or urceolate
, lobed
, parted
, or divided
almost to base; lobes
4, imbricate in bud. Stamens 2(-4), mostly attached to upper half of corolla tube
; connective
usually minutely mucronate
, elongated, or projecting
. Ovules 2 in each locule, pendulous. Stigma capitate or 2-cleft. Abortive
pistil subulate
or conical
. Fruit a drupe; endocarp hard or bony; endosperm fleshy
; radicle erect
.
About 30 species: SE Asia and America; 23 species in China.
The flowers are fragrant in all species; Osmanthus fragrans is a well-known spice plant.[2]
Physical Description
Species Osmanthus fragrans
Trees or shrubs 3-5(-10) m , glabrous . Petiole 0.8-1.2 (-1.5) cm; leaf blade elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 7-14.5 × 2.6-4.5 cm, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, margin entire or usually serrulate along distal half, apex acuminate; midrib and 6-8(-10) primary veins adaxially impressed and abaxially raised. Cymes fascicled in leaf axils, many flowered; bracts broadly ovate , 2-4 mm. Pedicel 4-10 mm. Calyx ca. 1 mm. Corolla yellowish, yellow, or orange, 3-4 mm; tube 0.5-1 mm. Stamens attached to middle of corolla tube; connective elongated into an obscure mucro . Drupe purple-black, ellipsoid , oblique , 1-1.5 cm. Fl. Sep-Oct, fr. Mar. 2n = 46*. [source]
Habit: Erect
Flowers: Bloom Period: January, February, July, August. • Flower Color: White
Size/Age/Growth
Growth Rate: Slow Growing • Size: 8-10' tall.
Landscaping
Care: Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system . Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring . For a formal appearance , shear annually after flowering.
Habitat
Biology
Growth
Culture: Space 6-8' apart.
Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 7.5
Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun
Moisture: Water Requirements: Water regularly, when top 3 in. of soil is dry.
Temperature: Heat Zones: High: 12 (>210 days) Low:8 (>90 to 120 days) (map) • Cold Hardiness: High:11 (Above 40 F) Low:8 (10 to 20 F) (map)
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
()
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
()
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
()
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
()
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
()
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Unambiguous Synonyms
- O. macrocarpus P. Y. Bai.
- O. ovalis Miquel
- Olea fragrans Thunberg Ex Murray, Syst. Veg. Ed. 14, 57. 1784
- Osmanthus longibracteatus H. T. Chang
Notes
Name
Status: Accepted Name
. Latest taxonomic
scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000
Place of publication
: Fl.
cochinch. 1:29. 1790
Name verified on 23-May-2007 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 23-May-2007
Similar Species
Members of the genus Osmanthus
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 169 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:
O. acuminata · O. acutus · O. americana · O. americanus (American Devilwood) · O. americanus megacarpus (Devilwood) · O. americanus subsp. megacarpus · O. americanus var. americanus (American Devilwood) · O. americanus var. megacarpus (Devilwood) · O. americanus var. microphyllus (Devilwood) · O. angustifolius · O. apiculatus · O. aquifolia · O. aquifolium · O. armatus · O. asiaticus · O. attenuatus · O. aurantiacus · O. austro-caledonicus · O. austrocaledonicus · O. austrocaledonicus badula · O. austrocaledonicus collinus · O. austrocaledonicus var. crassifolius · O. badula · O. bambusifolius · O. bibracteatus · O. brachystachys · O. bracteatus · O. brevipetiolatus · O. burkwoodii · O. caudatifolius · O. caudatus · O. collinus · O. cooperi · O. corymbosus · O. crassifolius · O. cylindricus · O. cymosus · O. daibuensis · O. decorus (Osmanthus) · O. decorus 'Angustifolius' · O. delavayi (Delavay Osmanthus) · O. delavayi 'Latifolius' · O. delavayi 'Pearly Gates' · O. delavayi × suavis · O. deplanchei · O. didymopetalus · O. dinggyensis · O. enervius · O. eucleoides · O. flagrans · O. floridanus var. americanus · O. fordii · O. forrestii · O. fortunei (Fortune's Osmanthus) · O. fragans · O. fragrans (Kinmokusei in Japan) · O. fragrans 'Aurantiacus' (Fragrant Tea Olive) · O. fragrans 'Conger Yellow' (Conger Yellow Sweet Olive) · O. fragrans f. aurantiacus · O. fragrans f. leucanthus · O. fragrans f. thunbergii · O. fragrans 'Fudingzhu' · O. fragrans 'Latifolius' · O. francii · O. gamostromus · O. gracilinervis · O. hachijoensis · O. hainanensis · O. henryi · O. heterophylla · O. heterophyllis · O. heterophyllous · O. heterophyllus (Holly Osmanthus) · O. heterophyllus all gold · O. heterophyllus 'Argenteomarginatus' · O. heterophyllus 'Aureomarginatus' · O. heterophyllus 'Aureus' Rehder · O. heterophyllus 'Dodd and Zinger's Variegated' · O. heterophyllus f. subangustatus (Holly Osmanthus) · O. heterophyllus 'Fastigiata' · O. heterophyllus 'Goshiki' (Variegated False Holly) · O. heterophyllus 'Gulftide' (False Holly) · O. heterophyllus (G.Don) P.S.Green 'Hebimarginata' · O. heterophyllus 'Kembu' (False Holly) · O. heterophyllus 'Latifolius Variegatus' · O. heterophyllus 'Myrtifolius' · O. heterophyllus (G.Don) P.S.Green 'Mystifolius' · O. heterophyllus 'Ogon' · O. heterophyllus 'Purple Shaft' · O. heterophyllus 'Purple Spire' · O. heterophyllus 'Purpureus' (False Holly) · O. heterophyllus 'Rotundifolius' · O. heterophyllus 'Sasaba' (False Holly) · O. heterophyllus Tricolor · O. heterophyllus var. acutus · O. heterophyllus var. aureus (Holly Osmanthus) · O. heterophyllus var. iriomotensis · O. heterophyllus var. variegatus (Variegated False Holly) · O. heterophyllus 'Variegatus' (Variegated Holly Olive) · O. hupehensis
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Botanisches Zentralblatt; referierendes Organ für das Gesamtgebiet der Botanik. Jena [etc.]G. Fischer [etc.] GER url p. 335, p. 652.
- Botanisk tidsskrift / utgivet af den Botaniske forening i København. København: H. Hagerups Forlag, ENG url p. 384.
- Bulletin of the Natural History Museum. Andover: Intercept. ENG url p. 32.
- Die Gartenwelt. Berlin: G. Schmidt, [1897- GER url p. 17, p. 380.
- Die Rohstoffe des Pflanzenreichs: versuch einer Technischen Rohstofflehre des Pflanzenreiches / Unter Mitwirkung von Max Bemberger, von Julius von Wiesner. Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 1914. GER url p. 605, p. 993.
- Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
- Flora balearica, étude phytogéographique sur les íles Baléares, par Herman Knoche. [Montpellier, France, Imp. Roumégous et Déhan]1921-1923. FRE url p. 58.
- Gartenflora. Erlangen: F. Enke, 1852-1940. GER url p. 219.
- Gray's school and field book of botany, consisting of "Lessons in botany, " and "Field, forest, and garden botany, " bound in one volume / by Asa Gray... New York: American Book co., [1887] ENG url p. 281.
- Great Basin naturalist memoirs. [Provo, Utah]Brigham Young University, 1976-1992. ENG url p. 1305, p. 799.
- Green, P. S. 1958. A monographic revision of Osmanthus in Asia and America. Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 22:484–495.
- Hamburger Garten- und Blumenzeitung. Hamburg: R. Kittler, 1852-1890. GER url p. 294.
- Hara, H. et al. 1978–1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal. (L Nepal)
- Inventory of seeds and plants imported / U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O., 1914-1924. ENG url p. 64, p. 65.
- Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993–. Flora of Japan. (F Japan)
- Jahresbericht über das Gebiet der Pflanzenkrankheiten. Berlin: P. Parey, 1907-1917. GER url p. 395.
- Journal de la Société nationale d'horticulture de France. Paris: Au siége de la Société, 1886-1927. FRE url p. 1032.
- Journal of botany, British and foreign. London: Robert Hardwicke, 1863-1942. ENG url p. 37.
- Just's botanischer jahresbericht. Systematisch geordnetes repertorium der botanischen literatur aller länder. Berlin, Gebr. Borntraeger, 1874-98; GER url p. 12, p. 1231, p. 1409, p. 318.
- Krüssmann, G. 1984. Handbuch de Laubgeholze, Engl. translat. (Krussmann)
- L'Année biologique. Paris, Masson. FRE url p. 567.
- Le Monde des plantes. Le Mans: Impr. Edmond Monnoyer, 1891-1898. FRE url p. 303.
- Manual of the trees of North America (exclusive of Mexico). With six hundred and forty-four illustrations from drawings by Charles Edward Faxon. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin, 1905. ENG url p. 779.
- Manual of vascular plants of the lower Yangtze Valley, China. Corvallis, Oregon State College[1958] ENG url p. 311, p. 605.
- McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
- Pajaujis Anonis, D. 1993. Flower oils and floral compounds in perfumery. (Flower Oils)
- Plant life of Alabama: an account of the distribution, modes of association, and adaptations of the flora of Alabama, together with a systematic catalogue of the plants growing in the state / by Charles Mohr. Montgomery, Ala.: Brown Printing Co., 1901. ENG url p. 835.
- Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. (Dict Rehm)
- Sino-Iranica; Chinese contributions to the history of civilization in ancient Iran, with special reference to the history of cultivated plants and products / by Berthold Laufer -- Chicago, 1919. ENG url p. 336, p. 619.
- Species plantarum, exhibentes plantas rite cognitas ad genera relatas cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus secundum systema sexuale digestas. Olim curante Carolo Ludovico Willdenow. Berolini, G.C. Nauck, 1831-1833. LAT url p. 238.
- The Gardener's monthly and horticulturist. Philadelphia, Pa.: Charles H. Marot, 1876-1888. ENG url p. 298.
- Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986–. European garden flora. (Eur Gard F)
- Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994–. Flora of China (English edition). (F ChinaEng)
- Chang Mei-chen, Miao Bo-mao, Lu Rui-ling, & Qiu Lian-qing in: Chang Mei-chen & Qiu Lian-qing, eds. 1992. Oleaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 61: 1-222.
- Chang Mei-chen, Miao Bo-mao, Lu Rui-ling, & Qiu Lian-qing in: Chang Mei-chen & Qiu Lian-qing, eds. 1992. Oleaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 61: 1-222.
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- "Osmanthus fragrans". in Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 292. Published by Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 30, 2008)
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2670011
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-505977
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13763606
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:610878-1
- GRIN Nomen Number: 26123
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 505977
- International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 610878-1
- U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: OSFR2
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 52881
Footnotes
- Mei-chen Chang, Lien-ching Chiu, Zhi Wei & Peter S. Green "Oleaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 272. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
- "Osmanthus". in Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 286. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
