''Spiraea'' , sometimes spelled spirea in common names, and commonly known as meadowsweets or steeplebushes, is a genus of about 80 to 100 species''Spiraea''.
Flora of China. of

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s in the family

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

. They are native to the temperate

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined by humans as being in the same celestial sphere, celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the Solar ...

, with the greatest diversity in eastern Asia. The genus formerly included the herbaceous species now segregated into the genera ''

Filipendula ''Filipendula'' is a genus of 12 species of perennial plant, perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Well-known species include meadowsweet (''Filipendula ulmaria' ...

'' and '' Aruncus''; recent genetic evidence has shown that ''Filipendula'' is only distantly related to ''Spiraea'', belonging in the subfamily Rosoideae.

Description

'' Spiraea betulifolia'' '' Spiraea betulifolia'' in autumn ''Spiraea'' plants are hardy, deciduous-leaved

s. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are simple and usually short stalked, and are arranged in a spiralling, alternate fashion. In most species, the leaves are

lanceolate The following terms are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade ...

(narrowly oval) and about long. The leaf margins are usually toothed, occasionally cut or lobed, and rarely smooth.

Stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole (botany), petiole). They are primarily found among dicots and rare among monocots. Stipules are considered part ...

s are absent. The many small

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s of ''Spiraea'' shrubs are clustered together in

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s, usually in dense

panicle In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...

s, umbrella-like corymbs, or grape-like clusters. The

radial symmetry Symmetry in biology refers to the symmetry observed in organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. External symmetry can be easily seen by just looking at an organism. For example, the face of a human being has a plane of symme ...

of each flower is fivefold, with the

s usually bisexual, rarely unisexual. The flowers have five sepals and five white, pink, or reddish petals that are usually longer than the sepals. Each flower has many (15 to 60)

stamens The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

. The fruit is an aggregate of follicles.

Ecology

''Spiraea'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of many

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species, including the

brown-tail The brown-tail moth (''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several years ...

, the small emperor moth, the

grey dagger The grey dagger (''Acronicta psi'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Distribution This species can be found from Europe and North Africa to northern Iran, central Asia, southern and central Siberia and Mongolia. In the Levant it is found in L ...

, the setaceous Hebrew character, and the moth '' Hypercompe indecisa''. The leaves of S. betulifolia are eaten by blue grouse in spring, and the plant is browsed by deer in summer.

Uses

Food

Native Americans ate the species ''S. betulifolia''.

Horticulture

Many species of ''Spiraea'' are used as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

s in temperate climates, particularly for their showy clusters of dense flowers. Some species bloom in the spring, others in midsummer. The following species, hybrids and cultivars are among those found in cultivation: *''S.'' 'Arguta' *''S. betulifolia'' *''S. canescens'' *''S. cantoniensis'' * ''S.'' × ''cinerea'' *''S. douglasii'' *''S. japonica'' *''S. nipponica'' *''S. prunifolia'' *''S.'' × ''pseudosalicifolia'' *''S. salicifolia'' *''S.'' 'Snow White' *''S. thunbergii'' *''S. trichocarpa'' *''S.'' × ''vanhouttei'' *''S. veitchii'' ''Spiraea'' 'Arguta' (bridal wreath) and ''Spiraea'' × ''cinerea'' 'Grefsheim' have won the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

Traditional medicine

''Spiraea'' contain salicylates.

Acetylsalicylic acid Aspirin () is the Generic trademark, genericized trademark for acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation, and as an antithrombotic. Specific inflammatory conditions ...

was first isolated from '' Filipendula ulmaria,'' a species at the time classified in the genus ''Spiraea''. The word "aspirin" was coined by adding ''a-'' (for

acetylation : In chemistry, acetylation is an organic esterification reaction with acetic acid. It introduces an acetyl group into a chemical compound. Such compounds are termed ''acetate esters'' or simply ''acetates''. Deacetylation is the opposite react ...

) to ''spirin'', from the German ''Spirsäure'', a reference to ''Spiraea''. Native American groups have various medicinal uses for local ''Spiraea'' species. ''S. betulifolia'' is used for abdominal pain and made into a tea. The Blackfoot use ''S. splendens'' root in an

enema An enema, also known as a clyster, is the rectal administration of a fluid by injection into the Large intestine, lower bowel via the anus.Cullingworth, ''A Manual of Nursing, Medical and Surgical'':155 The word ''enema'' can also refer to the ...

and to treat venereal conditions.

Other

Native Americans found ''S. douglasii'' useful for making brooms and hanging seafood to cook.

Species

*'' Spiraea affinis'' *'' Spiraea alaskaense'' *'' Spiraea alba'' – narrow-leaved meadowsweet, pale bridewort *'' Spiraea albiflora'' *'' Spiraea amoena'' *'' Spiraea arcuata'' *'' Spiraea baldschuanica'' *'' Spiraea bella'' *'' Spiraea betulifolia'' – white meadowsweet *'' Spiraea blumei'' *'' Spiraea calcicola'' *'' Spiraea cana'' *'' Spiraea canescens'' – Himalayan spiraea *'' Spiraea cantoniensis'' – Reeve's spiraea *'' Spiraea chamaedryfolia'' – elm-leaf spiraea, germander meadowsweet *'' Spiraea crenata'' *'' Spiraea decumbens'' *'' Spiraea douglasii'' – Douglas' spiraea, steeplebush *'' Spiraea gemmata'' *'' Spiraea henryi'' *''

Spiraea hypericifolia ''Spiraea'' , sometimes spelled spirea in common names, and commonly known as meadowsweets or steeplebushes, is a genus of about 80 to 100 species

'' – Iberian meadowsweet *'' Spiraea japonica'' – Japanese spiraea *'' Spiraea latifolia'' - broadleaf meadowsweet *'' Spiraea longigemmis'' *'' Spiraea lucida'' *'' Spiraea media'' – Russian spiraea *'' Spiraea micrantha'' *'' Spiraea miyabei'' *'' Spiraea mollifolia'' *'' Spiraea nervosa'' *'' Spiraea nipponica'' *'' Spiraea prunifolia'' – bridal-wreath spiraea *'' Spiraea pubescens'' *'' Spiraea rosthornii'' *'' Spiraea salicifolia'' – bridewort, willowleaf meadowsweet *'' Spiraea sargentiana'' *'' Spiraea septentrionalis'' – northern meadowsweet *'' Spiraea splendens'' – rose meadowsweet *'' Spiraea stevenii'' – beauverd spirea *'' Spiraea thunbergii'' – Thunberg's meadowsweet *'' Spiraea tomentosa'' – hardhack, steeplebush *'' Spiraea trichocarpa'' – Korean meadow spiraea *'' Spiraea trilobata'' – Asian meadowsweet *'' Spiraea veitchii'' *'' Spiraea virginiana'' – Virginia spiraea *'' Spiraea wilsonii'' *'' Spiraea yunnanensis''

Formerly placed here

*''Spiraea lobata'', moved to '' Filipendula rubra'' *''Spiraea discolor'', moved to '' Holodiscus discolor''

Hybrids

There are also numerous named hybrids, some occurring naturally in the wild, others bred in

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s, including several important ornamental plants: *''Spiraea'' × ''arguta'' (''S.'' × ''multiflora'' × ''S. thunbergii'') – garland spiraea *''Spiraea'' × ''billiardii'' (''S. douglasii'' × ''S. salicifolia'') – Billiard's spiraea *''Spiraea'' × ''blanda'' (''S. nervosa'' × ''S. cantoniensis'') *''Spiraea'' × ''brachybotrys'' (''S. canescens'' × ''S. douglasii'') *''Spiraea'' × ''bumalda'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. albiflora'') *''Spiraea'' × ''cinerea'' (''S. hypericifolia'' × ''S. cana'') *''Spiraea'' × ''conspicua'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. latifolia'') *''Spiraea'' × ''fontenaysii'' (''S. canescens'' × ''S. salicifolia'') *''Spiraea'' × ''foxii'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. betulifolia'') *''Spiraea'' × ''gieseleriana'' (''S. cana'' × ''S. chamaedryfolia'') *''Spiraea'' × ''macrothyrsa'' (''S. douglasii'' × ''S. latifolia'') *''Spiraea'' × ''multiflora'' (''S. crenata'' × ''S. hypericifolia'') *''Spiraea'' × ''notha'' (''S. betulifolia'' × ''S. latifolia'') *''Spiraea'' × ''nudiflora'' (''S. chamaedryfolia'' × ''S. bella'') *''Spiraea'' × ''pikoviensis'' (''S. crenata'' × ''S. media'') *''Spiraea'' × ''pyramidata'' (''S. betulifolia'' × ''S. douglasii'') – pyramid spiraea *''Spiraea'' × ''revirescens'' (''S. amoena'' × ''S. japonica'') *''Spiraea'' × ''sanssouciana'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. douglasii'') *''Spiraea'' × ''schinabeckii'' (''S. chamaedryfolia'' × ''S. trilobata'') *''Spiraea'' × ''semperflorens'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. salicifolia'') *''Spiraea'' × ''vanhouttei'' (''S. trilobata'' × ''S. cantoniensis'') – Van Houtte's spiraea *''Spiraea'' × ''watsoniana'' (''S. douglasii'' × ''S. densiflora'')

References

External links

GRIN Species Records of ''Spiraea''.
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
''Spiraea''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). * {{Authority control Spiraeeae Rosaceae genera