| L. japonica | L. sempervirens |
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| Courtesy, University of Georgia Herbarium |
Courtesy,
J. R. Manhart, Texas A & M | ||
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Description:
According to Huxley, Griffiths, and Levy there are about 180 evergreen or
deciduous species in the genus Lonicera
(Huxley et al., 1992).
They further describe the genus
as follows, "...bushy, scandent, twining or creeping shrubs. Bark often
exfoliating. Leaves opposite, usually simple, entire, sometimes pinnately
lobed, sessile, or shortly petioled, sometimes with connate stipules, upper
leaf pairs often fused, forming a disc. Flowers epigynous, pairs and axillary
or in usually 6-flowered whorls in terminal spikes or panicles, bracteate;
sepals 5; corolla tubular to campanulate, tube often basally swollen, bilabiate
with upper lip 4-lobed, or with regular 5-lobed limb and lobes imbricate;
stamens 5, included or exserted; ovary inferior. Fruit a many-seeded
berry, white, yellow, red, or black"
(Huxley et al., 1992).
Radford, Ahles, and Bell also noted
that leaves are sometimes serrulate on spring shoots, and that stamens usually
are 2-lipped
(Radford et al., 1968).
Species List: A Species List displays the
scientific names and some known common names for Lonicera. Varieties and hybrids are excluded from the list. You also
may link directly to specific pages for the two species,
L. japonica
and
L. sempervirens.
Identification Guide:
The following key shows defining characteristics
of species within the genus Lonicera
found in the Carolinas as presented by Radford,
Ahles, and Bell in the Manual of the Vascular Flora
of the Carolinas. The key is fairly representative of those species
found in the southeastern United States.
Images of L.japonica and L.sempervirens:
Here are two scanned specimens of L.japonica and L.sempervirens. Observe both similarities and differences between the two. The fused disc just below the bloom of the second specimen is a feature characteristic known only to L.sempervirens. Bloom color is also a distinguishing feature, but they both have opposite leaves as shown.
| L. japonica | L. sempervirens |
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| Collected in Lee County, AL (August 12, 1997) |
Collected in Lee County, AL (August 12, 1997) |
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| Scanned by Lisa Makarchuk |
Scanned by Lisa Makarchuk |
A series of drawings is available
at a site from Cornell on the
Caprifoliaceae
family. One of those
drawings
shows characteristics of the family Lonicera. Another useful site is a
Searchable Image Database
at Texas A & M University. With that system one can, for example enter "Lonicera
japonica" to search the database for images.
General Information: Species belonging
to this large and diverse genus of the northern hemisphere
are cultivated primarily for their appealing bell shaped
or tubular flowers, most of which are sweetly fragrant.
Flower color can be white, pink, red, or yellow.
Flowers mature into berries which are often eaten by birds and
other animals who then deposit the seeds with fresh fertilizer
(Vines, 1960).
Some species of Lonicera are not only used for ornamental
purposes, but are also utilized in medicines. For example,
a syrup is made out of L.caprifolium which counteracts
ailments of the respiratory system
(Uphof, 1968).
