Phillyrea latifolia L.

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Phillyrea latifolia' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/phillyrea/phillyrea-latifolia/). Accessed 2024-03-28.

Synonyms

  • (incl. P. media L.)

Infraspecifics

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

apex
(pl. apices) Tip. apical At the apex.
axillary
Situated in an axil.
dentate
With evenly triangular teeth at the edge. (Cf. crenate teeth rounded; serrate teeth saw-like.)
entire
With an unbroken margin.
lanceolate
Lance-shaped; broadest in middle tapering to point.
ovate
Egg-shaped; broadest towards the stem.
serrate
With saw-like teeth at edge. serrulate Minutely serrate.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Phillyrea latifolia' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/phillyrea/phillyrea-latifolia/). Accessed 2024-03-28.

An evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 or even 30 ft high; young branchlets and flower-stalks minutely downy. Leaves variable in size and shape, ovate or elliptic-ovate to lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 12 to 212 in. long, 38 to 112 in. wide, more or less dentate to serrate, serrulate, or entire, pointed at the apex, broadly tapered, rounded, or slightly heart-shaped at the base. Flowers dull greenish white, in short axillary clusters. Fruits blue-black, roundish or orange-shaped, 14 to 38 in. long.

Native of the Mediterranean regions of S. Europe, N. Africa, and Asia Minor; cultivated in Britain since the 16th century.


f. spinosa (Mill.) Rehd.

Synonyms
P. spinosa Mill.
P. latifolia var. ilicifolia DC

A form with strongly toothed leaves, 1 to 1{1/2} in. long, ovate and rounded at the base.Two species, P. latifolia L. and P. media L., were recognised in the past but it is generally agreed that specific separation within this variable entity is not possible. Some plants previously named P. media represent the adult stage of P. latifolia. Numerous forms have been described under P. media and that known as f. buxifolia (Ait.) Schelle has small, almost entire leaves.