Abelia chinensis R.Br.

 
  • Family : CAPRIFOLIACEAE
    (Honeysuckle Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : RASHINA FAMILY
  • Family (as per The APG System III) : Caprifoliaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Linnaea chinensis (R.Br.) A.Braun & Vatke
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Linnaea chinensis (R.Br.) A.Braun & Vatke
  • Habitat : Cultivated
  • Key identification features : An upright-rounded, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub of the honeysuckle family that typically grows on arching branches to 5-8’ tall and to 3-5’ wide. This is an outstanding flowering shrub whose main claim to fame is a lengthy early summer to fall bloom of very fragrant tubular white flowers with showy soft pink bracts. Flowers may be the most fragrant found on any species of Abelia. This shrub is native to lower alpine areas up to about 6000’ in elevation in southeastern China. Branchlets are covered with soft reddish wooly hairs when young. Mature branches are grayish brown. Toothed ovate leaves (to 1 1/2” long) are sparsely hairy above. White flowers (each to 1/2” long) bloom in axillary and terminal clusters at the stem ends. Weight of the flowers often causes the stem ends to dip, thus giving the shrub a somewhat weeping appearance during peak bloom season. As the flowers finish bloom, the sepals turn from green to a showy rosy mauve and persist on the shrub with retention of that color until November. From a distance, the shrub appears to be in bloom well into fall even though the flowers are long gone. This shrub is well-known for being attractive to butterflies (adults butterflies seek flower nectar and caterpillars feed on the foliage).
  • Distribution :
    • Sikkim : Gangtok district
  • Native : China, Nansei-shoto, Taiwan, Vietnam
  • Exotic/Native : Exotic
  • World Distribution : China Southeast, Nansei-shoto, Taiwan, Vietnam
  • Literature :
    • Personal Photo of K. Sankara Rao
  • Read more :
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2024). India Flora Online. http://indiafloraonline-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Abelia chinensis. Downloaded on 2 July 2024.

Field Image(s)

India Distribution

World Distribution
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