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.
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.
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Categories:
- Celastraceae
- Celastrales genera
- Celastraceae stubs