''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the
family Staphyleaceae, native to
temperate regions of the
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 as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
They are large
shrub
A shrub (often also called a 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 ...
s, occasionally small trees, growing to 2–5 m tall. The leaves are
deciduous, arranged in opposite pairs, and
pinnate, usually with three
leaflets, but ''S. pinnata'' and ''S. colchica''. The flowers are produced in drooping terminal
panicle
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 panicle are of ...
s 5–10 cm long, with 5–15 flowers on each panicle; the individual flowers are about 1 cm long, with the five
sepals and
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s similar in size and in their white or pale pink colour. The fruit is an inflated papery two- or three-lobed
capsule 3–10 cm long, containing a few small nut-like seeds.
Species
''
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...
'' currently includes:
* ''
Staphylea affinis
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Merr. & L.M.Perry) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea arguta
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Seem.) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea bolanderi
''Staphylea bolanderi'', common name Sierra bladdernut, is an uncommon species of bladdernut endemic to California. It ranges from the southern Sierra Nevada to the southernmost slopes of the Cascade Range and the Klamath Mountains. It is a shru ...
''
A.Gray – Sierra bladdernut. Western North America.
* ''
Staphylea bumalda''
DC. – Japanese bladdernut. Eastern Asia.
* ''
Staphylea campanulata''
J.Wen
* ''
Staphylea cochinchinensis
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Lour.) Byng & Christenh. - Nepal to S. China and Indo-China.
* ''
Staphylea colchica''
Steven – Colchis bladdernut, jonjoli. Eastern Europe.
* ''
Staphylea emodi
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
Wall. ex Brandis – Himalayan bladdernut. Himalaya.
* ''
Staphylea formosana
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Nakai) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea forrestii
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
Balf.f. – China.
* ''
Staphylea holocarpa
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
Hemsl. – China.
* ''
Staphylea indochinensis
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Merr.) Byng & Christenh. - S. China, N. Vietnam
* ''
Staphylea insignis
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Tul.) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea japonica
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Thunb.) Mabb.
* ''
Staphylea macrosperma
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(C.C.Huang) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea megaphylla
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Tul.) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea pinnata
''Staphylea pinnata'', the European bladdernut, is a species of bladdernut native to Europe and naturalized in Britain.
Description
It is a deciduous shrub growing up to . The species name ''pinnata'' refers to the pinnate leaves. Small, white, ...
''
L. – European bladdernut. Europe.
* ''
Staphylea pringlei
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occu ...
''
S.Watson – Mexico.
* ''
Staphylea shweliensis''
W.W.Sm. – China.
* ''
Staphylea subsessilifolia''
(C.Y.Wu) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea ternata
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Nakai) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea tricornuta
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
(Lundell) Byng & Christenh.
* ''
Staphylea trifolia
''Staphylea trifolia'', the American bladdernut, is native to eastern North America, from southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec west to Nebraska and Arkansas, and south to Florida. It is sometimes used as an ornamental plant.
It is a medium- ...
''
L. – American bladdernut. Eastern North America.
* ''
Staphylea yuanjiangensis
''Staphylea'', called bladdernuts, is a small genus of 10 or 11 species of flowering plants in the family Staphyleaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The highest species diversity is in China, where four species occur.
...
''
K.M.Feng & T.Z.Hsu
Some
botanists previously included the closely related
genus ''
Turpinia
''Turpinia'' is a genus of trees and shrubs in family Staphyleaceae, native to Asia and North, Central, and South America. Species include:
* '' Turpinia affinis''
* '' Turpinia arguta''
* '' Turpinia cochinchinensis''
* '' Turpinia formosana''
...
'' in ''Staphylea''.
Cultivation and uses
Several species are grown as
ornamental plants for their flowers and peculiar bladder-like fruit. The popular ''Staphylea × elegans'' is a
hybrid
Hybrid may refer to:
Science
* Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding
** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species
** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
of unknown origin, probably between ''S. colchica'' and ''S. pinnata''. The pickled flowers can be served as a side dish in
Georgian cuisine.
References
External links
EFloras: search results for ''Staphylea''Flora Europaea: ''Staphylea''
- at desert-tropicals.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q158845
Rosid genera
Staphyleaceae