''Buddleja diffusa'' is a species endemic to central Peru and northern Argentina, growing on dry hillsides above rivers and creeks at altitudes of 1000–1900 m; it was first described and named by

Ruiz The Spanish surname Ruiz originates from the Germanic personal name " Hrodric" which is composed of the elements "Hrōd", meaning "renown", and "rīc", meaning "power(ful)", thus "famous ruler". Ruiz is a patronymic from the personal name Ruy, a sh ...

& Pavon in 1798.Ruiz, H & Pavon, J. A. (1798). ''Prodr.'' 1: 535 t.80a. 1798.Norman, E. M. (2000). Buddlejaceae. ''Flora Neotropica 81''. New York Botanical Garden, USA

Description

''Buddleja diffusa'' is a

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

, scrambling, vine-like shrub 1–3.5 m high, with yellowish bark. The young branches are quadrangular, the younger growth covered with a white to buff tomentum. The sessile, membranaceous

ovate Ovate may refer to: *Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovat ...

or elliptic leaves 3–14 cm long by 2–8 cm wide,

glabrescent Glabrousness (from the Latin ''glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...

above, tomentose below. The yellow inflorescences are 15–30 cm long, with one or two orders of branches; the flowers borne in capitate cymules, each 0.6–1 cm diameter, with 9–15 flowers; the

corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name * Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown * ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...

tubes are 3–3.5 mm long.

Cultivation

The shrub is not known to be in cultivation.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4984625 diffusa Flora of Argentina Flora of Peru Flora of South America Dioecious plants