Coriaria napalensis
Credits
Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles
Recommended citation
'Coriaria napalensis' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
Synonyms
- Coriaria sinica Maxim.
Editorial Note
Bean recognised two distinct species on the basis of the provenance of the introducions, but Flora of China (16/4/2025) synonymises them. The text below combines and adapts the original entries to reflect the updated taxonomy. A fuller, revised treatment will be provided when funding is available. If you would like to sponsor the account of this genus please write to editor@treesandshrubsonline.org
Naturally a deciduous shrub, with long spreading branches, but too tender to thrive well in the open air at Kew, where it is frequently cut to the ground during winter, and thus prevented from attaining anything like its natural size. Given the protection of glass it will grow 8 ft high. Leaves ovate or oblong, slightly heart-shaped, 3 or 4 in. long on the strong primary growths, much smaller on the branchlets, distinctly three-nerved, glabrous, entire. Flowers produced on year-old shoots in narrow, cylindrical racemes 11⁄2 in. long, greenish yellow, the petals becoming in the fruiting stage much thickened, pulpy, and black-purple. Native of the Himalaya and the Shan Hills, Upper Burma.
Plants grown under the synonym C. sinica were introduced from China by Wilson in 1907. They form coarse shrubs, hardier and stronger growing than C. napalensis s.s., with slenderer styles, very much smaller (almost wanting) rudimentary pistils and petals in the male flowers, and smaller ripe carpels (Rehder and Wilson), black fruits, and racemes 1 to 2 in. long. Young shoots are squarish, warted, often growing 4 to 8 ft long in a season. Said to be 18 ft high in a wild state and already 15 ft high in cultivation: a plant at South Lodge near Horsham has main stems that are 3 or 4 in. thick. Known as ‘Ma-sang’ in Hupeh, where the shoots are said to be poisonous to cattle (Wilson).
