Sarcococca hookeriana,[1][2][3] the Himalayan sweet box, is a species of flowering plant in the box family Buxaceae, native to China, Afghanistan, North East India, Bhutan and Nepal.[4] It is a low-growing evergreen shrub, usually growing to 12–24 in (30–61 cm) high. It produces aromatic white flowers throughout winter, followed by black berries.
| Sarcococca hookeriana | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Buxales |
| Family: | Buxaceae |
| Genus: | Sarcococca |
| Species: | S. hookeriana
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| Binomial name | |
| Sarcococca hookeriana | |
Sarcococca hookeriana has several varieties of very different appearance to which different nomenclature has been applied in the references. Recent convention for example is to use Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis for the previous Sarcococca humilis, although it has broader, shiny leaves and a different habit than other forms.
This small plant is often used as groundcover in gardens. The variety Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna is more slender with narrower leaves. The cultivar ‘Purple Stem’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5][6] It is fully hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F), but requires a sheltered position in full or partial shade.[5]
Etymology
editThe Latin specific epithet hookeriana refers to the British botanist and explorer Sir Joseph D. Hooker.[7][8]
Digyna is derived from Greek and means 'having an ovary with two carpels'.[9]
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Flower -
Berries
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References
edit- ^ Hilliers Manual of Trees and Shrubs, Redwood Burn, 1998
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1-4053-3296-5.
- ^ Sarcococca National Collection http://www.sarcococca.org.uk/
- ^ "Sarcococca hookeriana". Flora of China – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ a b "RHS Plantfinder - Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna 'Purple Stem'". Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 95. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ Julia BrittainPlant Lover's Companion: Plants, People and Places, p. 96, at Google Books
- ^ Sue Gordon (Editor) Horticulture - Plant Names Explained: Botanical Terms and Their Meaning, p. 84, at Google Books
- ^ Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN 9780521685535 (paperback). pp 141, 340
External links
edit
- North Carolina State Extension, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Washington State University, Clark County Extension, Pacific NorthWest (PNW) plants database
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