''Calycanthus chinensis'', known as Chinese sweetshrub, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Calycanthaceae The Calycanthaceae (sweetshrubs or spicebushes) are a small family of flowering plants in the order Laurales. The family contains three genera and only 10 known species , restricted to warm temperate and tropical regions: They are aromatic, d ...

, native to

Southeast China The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each ...

. It was first given a valid scientific name in 1964. It is cultivated as an ornamental flowering shrub, and has been hybridized with two other species in the genus ''

Calycanthus ''Calycanthus'', called sweetshrub, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Calycanthaceae. The genus includes two to four species depending on taxonomic interpretation; three are accepted by most 21st century sources. Description ''Calyc ...

'' to combine its larger and broader

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

led flowers with their scented and more colourful ones. It has been treated as the only species in the genus ''Sinocalycanthus''.

Description

''Calycanthus chinensis'' is a deciduous shrub or small tree up to high and the same across. Older twigs are hairless and have greyish or greyish-brown bark. The leaves are aromatic and arranged in an opposite fashion. The leaf

petiole Petiole may refer to: *Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem *Petiole (insect anatomy) In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, and ...

(stalk) is about long. The leaf blade is variable in shape but broadly ovate, long by wide. The base of the leaf petiole hides the lateral buds. In its original habitat in China, it flowers in May. The nodding flowers are terminal, about across, and borne singly on a short

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long. There is no clear distinction into

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s and

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s. There are about 10–14 white outer

s, often flushed pink, especially as they age, and about 7–16 yellowish inner tepals, with purple marks near the base. The inner tepals are shorter and thicker than the outer ones, and curve inwards. The fruit matures in October in the wild. It is ovoid, with a spiral of marks at the top showing the former position of the tepals. The seeds are

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple fruit, simple dry fruits, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and Dehi ...

s, about long, and have silky hairs. Calycanthus chinensis 2020-06-23 9521.jpg, Habit in cultivation in Poland Calycanthus chinensis 2020-06-23 9527.jpg, Leaf Sinocalycanthus chinensis 2017-06-25 3042.jpg, White flower Calycanthus chinensis 2020-06-23 9533.jpg, Pink-tinged flower Calycanthus chinensis kz1.jpg, Fruit showing tepal scars

Taxonomy

''Calycanthus chinensis'' has a somewhat confused taxonomic history. It was first described in 1963 as ''Calycanthus chinensis'' by W.C. Cheng and S.Y. Chang. However, their use of the name was invalid under the

International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants The ''International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants'' (ICN or ICNafp) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all tho ...

, because two different collections were both given as

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

s. (Article 9.1 requires the holotype to be only one specimen.) The authors then described it validly in 1964 in their new genus ''Sinocalycanthus''. In 1979, P.T. Li rejected the genus ''Sinocalycanthus'', and validated the original name ''Calycanthus chinensis'' (inadvertently according to the

International Plant Names Index The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) describes itself as "a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of seed plants, ferns and lycophytes." Coverage of plant names is best at the rank of species and genus. It inclu ...

). A 2006

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study of the family

found that the three widely recognized species of ''Calycanthus'' formed a

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

group. Relationships among the three species differed depending on whether

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle, organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant cell, plant and algae, algal cells. Chloroplasts have a high concentration of chlorophyll pigments which captur ...

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics * Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

data was used: ''C. chinensis'' was either sister to '' C. floridus'' plus '' C. occidentalis'', or formed a

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

with ''C. occidentalis'', ''C. floridus'' being sister to both.

Distribution and habitat

''Calycanthus chinensis'' is known from

Zhejiang Province ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

in southeastern China, where it is found at elevations of in woods, particularly along streams.

Cultivation

''Calycanthus chinensis'' is cultivated as an ornamental shrub. In the United States, it is usually considered hardy in

zones Zone, Zones or The Zone may refer to: Places Military zones * Zone, any of the divisions of France during the World War II German occupation * Zone, any of the divisions of Germany during the post-World War II Allied occupation * Korean Demilit ...

6–8. In Europe, it is hardy as far north as eastern Scotland. Well-drained but moist, acid soils are recommended. In cooler climates, full sun is recommended, and it will have a long flowering season, beginning in June in southern England. In warmer climates in the US, it will grow in some shade and has a shorter but earlier flowering season, beginning in April. It can be propagated by softwood cuttings in summer, or by seed.

Hybridization

''Calycanthus chinensis'' has been hybridized with the two North American species of ''Calycanthus'', the aim being to combine the larger flowers of ''C. chinensis'' with the colour and fragrance of those of ''C. floridus'' and ''C. occidentalis''. The North American species are also hardier. The first cross, made in 1991 by Richard Hartlage at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

, was between ''C. chinesis'' and ''C. floridus''. The hybrid has been given the scientific name ''C.'' × ''raulstonii'', with the original cross treated as the

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

'Hartlage Wine'. Further crosses have been made. 'Venus' also involves ''C. occidentalis''.

References

{{taxonbar, from1=Q11739000, from2=Q50870612 Calycanthaceae Flora of Southeast China Plants described in 1964