''Buddleja albiflora'' is a
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...
shrub native to the mountains of central
China, where it grows on shrub-clad slopes at altitudes of between 1,000 and 2,000 m. Named rather carelessly by
Hemsley, the species was discovered by
Henry, and introduced to western cultivation by
Wilson
Wilson may refer to:
People
*Wilson (name)
** List of people with given name Wilson
** List of people with surname Wilson
* Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender
*Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Rod ...
in 1900.
[Bean, W. J. (1981). ''Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain'', 7th edition. Murray, London]
Description
''Buddleja albiflora'' grows to a height of 4 m in the wild, the branches erect and glabrous. The leaves are
narrow lanceolate, with a long-tapered point and wedge-shaped base, 10–22 cm long by 1–6 cm wide, toothed and dark-green, glabrous above in maturity, but covered beneath with a fine silvery-grey felt.
[ The shrub is similar to ''B. davidii'', but has rounded stems, as opposed to the four-angled of the latter. Despite its specific name, the fragrant flowers are actually pale lilac with orange centres, borne as slender panicles 20–45 cm long by 5 cm wide at the base; they are considered inferior to those of ''B. davidii'' and thus the plant is comparatively rare in cultivation.][Leeuwenberg, A. J. M. (1979) ''The Loganiaceae of Africa XVIII Buddleja L. II, Revision of the African & Asiatic species''. H. Veenman & Zonen, Wageningen, Nederland.
.] ''B. albiflora'' is hexaploid: 2''n'' = 114.[Chen, G, Sun, W-B, & Sun, H. (2007). Ploidy variation in Buddleja L. (Buddlejaceae) in the Sino - Himalayan region and its biogeographical implications. ''Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.'' 2007, 154, 305 – 312. The Linnean Society of London.]
Cultivation
The shrub is fully hardy in the UK, and features in the NCCPG
Plant Heritage, formerly known as the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG), is a botanical conservation organisation in the United Kingdom and a registered charity. It was founded in 1978 to combine the talents of bot ...
National Collection of ''Buddleja
''Buddleja'' (; ''Buddleia''; also historically given as ''Buddlea'') is a genus comprising over 140 species of flowering plants endemic to Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The generic name bestowed by Linnaeus posthumously honoured the Revere ...
'' held by the Longstock Park
Longstock Park is in the civil parish of Longstock in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, and forms part of the Leckford Estate (1520 ha.), wholly owned by the John Lewis Partnership.
Description
Formerly Longstock Manor, of ...
Nursery, near Stockbridge.[Moore, P. (2012). ''Buddleja List 2011-2012 Longstock Park Nursery''. Longstock Park, UK.]
Hardiness: USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
zones 6–9.
[Stuart, D. (2006). ''Buddlejas''. Plant Collector Guide. Timber Press, Oregon, USA. ]
References
*Hillier & Sons. (1977). ''Hilliers' Manual of Trees and Shrubs, 4th Edition''. David & Charles, Newton Abbot, England. .
* Li, P. T. & Leeuwenberg, A. J. M. (1996). Loganiaceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) ''Flora of China'', Vol. 15. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, USA.
online at www.efloras.org
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2927510
albiflora
Flora of China