Common Names: (Everett, 1981)
Higher Taxa: (Esposito, 1994)
Identification: The Swedish botanist, Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), first recorded the identification of the species Lonicera japonica in the book Floral Japonica in August, 1784. Main type specimens are located in the Thunberg herbarium which was given to Uppsala University of Thunbergsvagen, Sweden in 1785 (Holmgren et al., 1990). The locations where the specimens were collected could not be found (Branch, 1997).
Radford, Ahles, and Bell
(Radford et.al, 1968)
describe the species as follows, "high climbing or trailing vine, stems glabrous to densely
pubescent. Leaves evergreen, ovate, elliptic to oblong, 3-7.5 cm long, 1.5-4.5 cm
wide, acute, entire, ciliate or eciliate, base rounded, leaves of new shoots in the
spring often lobed; petioles 3-10 mm long. Peduncles 0-2.5 cm long, usually petiolate,
bracteoles 0-8.3 mm long, ovaries separate to near base. Calyx lobes 1-2 mm
long; corolla 2-lipped, white or pink fading to yellow, tube not gibbous
at base, longest lobes about equaling the tube. Berry black, glossy,
globose to subglobose, 5-6 mm long"
(Radford et al., 1968).
A page from Cornell gives some
illustrations
of leaf and flower forms found in Lonicera japonica.
Figure 1. Distant view of
Lonicera japonica.
(University of Georgia Herbarium Slide Collection, Scanned by Elizabeth Skillen)
Note that some of the flowers are white, and some are yellow. It is known that the
blooms fade from white to yellow with age
(Radford et al., 1968).
Figure 2.
Two examples of L. japonica illustrating color variations.
Figure 2A. L. japonica | Figure 2B. L. japonica |
Univ. of Georgia Herbarium Slide Collection |
Courtesy of Nomura Masato. |
||
Scanned by Elizabeth Skillen |
In Figure 2A above (left), from the University of Georgia Herbarium, note that
both the white flowers and the yellow flowers appear to have yellow stamens.
In Figure 2B above (right), taken at Mt.Futagami Yama in Japan by amateur photographer,
Nomura Masato,
note that all flowers appear entirely white, including stamens. Different subspecies
are known to exist within Lonicera japonica which notably vary from one
to another
(Everett 1981).
It is not known whether the differences in the
colors of these two samples represent examples of variations in subspecies or color
fading with aging.
Geography: This species is native to
Japan, Korea, China, and Manchuria
(Everett, 1981).
It was introduced into the United States from Asia and
escaped cultivation especially in the Southern states. Now it spreads
through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana eastward
to Florida and north to Massachusetts. It is also found in
Oregon and Washington
(Vines, 1960).
According to Huxley, Griffiths, and Levy, it is distributed widely
throughout the Northern Hemisphere and is naturalized to southeastern
United States
(Huxley et al., 1992).
Lonicera japonica | ||
AREA | STATUS | REFERENCES |
North America: Continental United States; Canada |
Yes | Huxley, Anthony & Levy 1992 |
Eastern North America: United States east of Mississippi; Ontario and eastern Canada |
Yes | Huxley, Anthony & Levy 1992 |
Southeastern United States: AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV |
Yes | Huxley, Anthony, & Levy 1992 |
Southern Appalachian
States: AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV |
Yes | Huxley, Anthony, & Levy 1992 |
Coastal Plain | Widespread | Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968; Jones & Coile, 1988 |
Piedmont | Widespread | Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968; Jones & Coile, 1988 |
Blue Ridge Mountains | Widespread | Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968 |
Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Yes | Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968 |
Ridge and Valley | Yes | Jones & Coile, 1988 |
Cumberland Plateau | Yes | Jones & Coile, 1988 |
Central Arch | ? | - |
Georgia | Widespread | Jones & Coile, 1988 |
Clarke County, Georgia | Yes | Jones & Coile, 1968 |
Sams Farm | Common | Catie Branch, Pers. Ob. |
Old Field | Rare | Catie Branch, Pers. Ob. |
Wetland | ? | - |
Woods | Widespread | Catie Branch, Pers. Ob. |
1-Hectare Plot | Yes | Catie Branch, Pers. Ob. |
How to Encounter: L.japonica flourishes
in moist earth along streams, fence rows, and borders of woods (Vines, 1960).
Being a vine, it often grows in association with trees. It can be
found in the spring and summer and is easily recognized when in bloom
by both fragrance and color. Try looking along fences and the edges
of pastures. Sams Farm (located off highway 78 north of
Athens, Georgia just past the 16 mile marker on the left) is full of this
species of honeysuckle, especially within the designated wooded 1-hectare plot.
It is abundant in so many areas that it may even be in your own back yard.
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