Abelia
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| Missing image Abeliarandiflora1web.jpg Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) | ||||||||||||
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Abelia is a genus of about 15-30 species and many hybrids in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae, in the part of that family split off by some authors in the segregate family Linnaeaceae. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group considers Linnaeaceae an optional synonym for Caprifoliaceae s.l.
They are shrubs from 1-6 m tall, native to eastern Asia (Japan west to the Himalaya) and southern North America (Mexico); the species from warm climates are evergreen, and colder climate species deciduous. Abelia isThe leaves are opposite or in whorls of three, ovate, glossy, dark green, 1.5-8 cm long, turning purplish-bronze to red in autumn in the deciduous species. The flowers appear in the upper leaf axils and stem ends, 1-8 together in a short cyme; they are pendulous, white to pink, bell-shaped with a five-lobed corolla, 1-5 cm long, and usually scented. Flowering continues over a long and continuous late spring to fall period.
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Species
- Abelia adenotricha - (China)
- Abelia aitchinsonii
- Abelia angustifolia - (China)
- Abelia anhwensis - (China)
- Abelia biflora - (China)
- Abelia buddleioides - (China)
- Abelia cavaleriei - (China)
- Abelia chinensis - (China)
- Abelia chowii - (China)
- Abelia coriacea - (Mexico)
- Abelia corymbosa
- Abelia curviflora - (Japan)
- Abelia engleriana - (Sichuan, China)
- Abelia fargesii - (Japan)
- Abelia floribunda - Mexican Abelia (Mexico)
- Abelia gracilenta - (China)
- Abelia graebneriana - (China)
- Abelia hersii - (China)
- Abelia integrifolia - (Japan)
- Abelia ionandra - (Taiwan)
- Abelia ionostachya - (Japan)
- Abelia longituba - (China)
- Abelia mairei - (China)
- Abelia mexicana - (Mexico)
- Abelia mosanensis - (Korea)
- Abelia myrtilloides - (China)
- Abelia occidentalis - (Mexico)
- Abelia parvifolia - (China)
- Abelia schischkinii - (China)
- Abelia schumannii - (China)
- Abelia serrata - (Japan)
- Abelia spathulata - (Japan)
- Abelia speciosa - (Mexico)
- Abelia tomentosa - (Japan)
- Abelia triflora - (Himalaya)
- Abelia tyaihyoni - (Korea)
- Abelia umbellata - (Sichuan, China)
- Abelia uniflora - (China)
- Abelia verticillata - (China)
- Abelia zanderi - (Sichuan, China)
- Hybrids
- Abelia x grandiflora Hort. ex. Bailey
Cultivation and uses
Abelias are popular garden shrubs. The most widely grown is the hybrid Abelia x grandiflora (Glossy Abelia; hybrid Abelia chinensis x Abelia uniflora). This is a rounded, spreading, multi-stemmed shrub with gracefully arching branches to 1-1.8 m tall, with ovate, glossy, dark green semi-evergreen leaves to 2-6 cm long, and clusters of white-tinged-pink, bell-shaped flowers to 2 cm long.
References
- Barnes, P. 2001. Looking at Abelias. New Plantsman 8(2): 78-92 (clarification of nomenclature, history, and cultivars with an excellent key and photographs).
External links
- Mexican Abelia (http://www.granada.org/graficos/arboles/abelia.jpg)
- Glossy Abelia (http://www.delhi.edu/page/plantsci/plantsciencedelhi/wpf/images/Abelia/Abelia_X_grandiflora/Abelia_grandiflora_05.gif)
- Abelia page (http://newplants.tripod.com/abel333s.html)
- Two new species of Abelia (http://apt.allenpress.com/aptonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=0007-196X&volume=052&issue=02&page=0172)da:Abelia (Abelia)
