''Loropetalum'' is a genus of four species of shrubs or small trees in the

witch-hazel Witch-hazels or witch hazels (''Hamamelis'') are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America ('' H. ovalis'', '' H. virginiana'', and '' H. vernalis''), and one each in Japan ('' H.&n ...

family,

Hamamelidaceae Hamamelidaceae, commonly referred to as the witch-hazel family, is a family of flowering plants in the order Saxifragales. The clade consists of shrubs and small trees positioned within the woody clade of the core Saxifragales. An earlier syste ...

, native to China, Japan, and south-eastern

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

Description

Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s are produced in clusters during spring and are similar to those of the closely related

. Each flower consists of four to six (depending on species) slender strap shaped petals 1–2 cm long.

Taxonomy

''Loropetalum'' is placed in tribe Loropetaleae, subfamily Hamamelidoideae, family

of the

Saxifragales The Saxifragales (saxifrages) are an order of flowering plants (Angiosperms). They are an extremely diverse group of plants which include trees, shrubs, perennial herbs, succulent and aquatic plants. The degree of diversity in terms of vege ...

Etymology

The name ''Loropetalum'' refers to the shape of the flowers and comes from the Greek ''loron'' meaning strap and ''petalon'' meaning petal.

Species

The species are: *''

Loropetalum chinense ''Loropetalum chinense'' is commonly known as loropetalum,"Floridata Pl ...

'' - white-flowering variety up to 3.7 m tall, pink-flowering variety up to 1.5 m tall *''

Loropetalum flavum ''Loropetalum'' is a genus of four species of shrubs or small trees in the witch-hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to China, Japan, and south-eastern Asia. Description Flowers are produced in clusters during spring and are similar to thos ...

'' - yellow flowers *''

Loropetalum lanceum ''Loropetalum'' is a genus of four species of shrubs or small trees in the witch-hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to China, Japan, and south-eastern Asia. Description Flowers are produced in clusters during spring and are similar to thos ...

'' - up to 13 m tall, white flowers *''

Loropetalum subcordatum '' Loropetalum subcordatum'' is a species of plant in the Hamamelidaceae family. It is found in China and Hong Kong. Previously considered a separate genus, ''Tetrathyrium'', '' Loropetalum subcordatum'' is one of four species of ''Loropetalum'' ...

'' - up to 12 m tall

References

Bibliography

* * *
San Marcos Growers: Loropetalum

External links

* * Hamamelidaceae Saxifragales genera {{Saxifragales-stub