Celastrus
Staff vine | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Celastrus scandens | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Celastrales |
Family: | Celastraceae |
Genus: | Celastrus L.[1] |
Species | |
See text |
Celastrus, commonly known as staff vine, staff tree or bittersweet, is a genus in the family Celastraceae which comprises about 30-40 species of shrubs and vines. They have a wide distribution in East Asia, Australasia, Africa, and the Americas.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Celastrus_orbiculatus.jpg/220px-Celastrus_orbiculatus.jpg)
Celastrus orbiculatus
The leaves are alternate and simple, ovoid, and typically 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) long. The flowers are small, white, pink or greenish, and borne in long panicles; the fruit is a three-valved berry.
In North America, they are known as bittersweet, presumably a result of confusion with the unrelated bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) by early colonists. C. orbiculatus is a serious invasive weed in much of eastern North America.
Selected species[]
- Maxim. – Chinese staff vine
- – Australian staff vine
- – orange boxwood
- Rupr.
- Loes.
- Benth.
- Roxb.
- Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. – Oriental bittersweet
- Celastrus paniculatus Willd. - peng
- – South African staff vine
- Loes.
- Celastrus scandens L. – American bittersweet
- Wall.
- (H.Lév.) Rehder[2]
References[]
- ^ "Celastrus L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
- ^ "Species Records of Celastrus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
Categories:
- Celastraceae
- Celastrales genera
- Celastraceae stubs