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Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume

Modern name

Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume

Synonyms

Bladhia japonica Thunb.

A low evergreen shrub 1 ft or rather more high, its erect clustered stems covered with dark, minute down when young. Leaves clustered in one or two whorls near the top of the stem; oval, 112 to 312 in. long, 34 to 112 in. wide; tapered at both ends, sharply toothed; bright dark green, and nearly or quite glabrous; stalks 14 in. long, minutely downy. Flowers white, 12 in. across, star-shaped, with five narrow, ovate, pointed petals; the flowers occur singly or in twos or threes on short, downy stalks 12 to 34 in. long, in the leaf-axils. They appear in August and September, and are followed by red (in one form white), globular berries, 14 in. in diameter.

Native of China and Japan, and the only member of a large genus grown outside in this country. Its beauty is in the glossy foliage and bright fruits. It is suitable for the rock garden, in the south and west of England or Ireland, but is not wholly hardy at Kew. It first flowered in Knight’s nursery at Chelsea in 1834.


Genus

Ardisia

Other species in the genus

[No species article available]