A modern reference to temperate woody plants, including updated content from this site and much new material, can be found at Trees and Shrubs Online.

Colletia

Family

Rhamnaceae

This genus, named in honour of Philibert Collet, a French botanist (1643-1718), consists of about a dozen species, all natives of S. America. The following hardy ones have a curious – one of them a unique – appearance out-of-doors in this country. The smaller branches are really spines arranged oppositely, and there is very little or no leafage, especially on old plants. The most conspicuous part of the flower is the bell-shaped or tubular calyx, the petals being very minute or absent. At Kew the three species described below are hardy in sheltered situations and grow well in a sandy, well-drained loam, flowering freely if given a sunny position. Propagation can be effected by means of cuttings.

Species articles

Modern name

Some names used by Bean have now been superseded and are no longer familiar. To ensure that all plants can be easily found, under any name, we have cross-referenced to The Plant List, a collaboration between RBG Kew, Missouri Botanical Gardens and other organisations, which aims to provide a currently accepted name for any plant. Not all taxonomists will agree with all Plant List nomenclature, but it provides a baseline to compare names. For each species above, clicking on the Modern Name will link to the entry for that name on The Plant List website.