''Sarcococca hookeriana'', the Himalayan sweet box, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

in the box

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Buxaceae, native to China, Afghanistan, North East India, Bhutan and Nepal. It is a low-growing

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

shrub, usually growing to high. It produces aromatic white flowers throughout winter, followed by black berries. ''Sarcococca hookeriana'' has several varieties of very different appearance to which different nomenclature has been applied in the references. Recent convention for example is to use ''Sarcococca hookeriana'' var. ''humilis'' for the previous ''Sarcococca humilis'', although it has broader, shiny leaves and a different habit than other forms. This small plant is often used as groundcover in gardens. The variety ''Sarcococca hookeriana'' var. ''digyna'' is more slender with narrower leaves. The

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

‘Purple Stem’ has gained 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 (No ...

's Award of Garden Merit. It is fully

hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

down to , but requires a sheltered position in full or partial shade.

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet ''hookeriana'' refers to the British botanist and explorer Sir Joseph D. Hooker.Sue Gordon (Editor) ''Digyna'' is derived from Greek and means 'having an ovary with two carpels'.Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 141, 340 File:Sarcococca hookeriana 24-01-2022. (d.j.b).jpg, Flower File:Sarcococca hookeriana 24-01-2022. (d.j.b) 03.jpg, Berries

References

External links

North Carolina State Extension, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Washington State University, Clark County Extension, Pacific NorthWest (PNW) plants database
hookeriana Flora of China Flora of Afghanistan Flora of Bhutan Flora of Nepal Flora of Assam (region) Taxa named by Henri Ernest Baillon {{eudicot-stub