Lonicera rupicola
Credits
Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles
Recommended citation
'Lonicera rupicola' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
Infraspecifics
Other taxa in genus
- Lonicera acuminata
- Lonicera alberti
- Lonicera alpigena
- Lonicera altmannii
- Lonicera × americana
- Lonicera angustifolia
- Lonicera × brownii
- Lonicera caerulea
- Lonicera caprifolium
- Lonicera caucasica
- Lonicera chaetocarpa
- Lonicera chrysantha
- Lonicera ciliosa
- Lonicera dioica
- Lonicera etrusca
- Lonicera ferdinandi
- Lonicera flava
- Lonicera fragrantissima
- Lonicera giraldii
- Lonicera griffithii
- Lonicera gynochlamydea
- Lonicera × heckrottii
- Lonicera henryi
- Lonicera hildebrandiana
- Lonicera hirsuta
- Lonicera hispida
- Lonicera iberica
- Lonicera implexa
- Lonicera involucrata
- Lonicera japonica
- Lonicera korolkowii
- Lonicera ligustrina
- Lonicera maackii
- Lonicera maximowiczii
- Lonicera microphylla
- Lonicera morrowii
- Lonicera nervosa
- Lonicera nigra
- Lonicera periclymenum
- Lonicera purpurascens
- Lonicera × purpusii
- Lonicera pyrenaica
- Lonicera quinquelocularis
- Lonicera reticulata
- Lonicera ruprechtiana
- Lonicera sempervirens
- Lonicera setifera
- Lonicera similis
- Lonicera splendida
- Lonicera tangutica
- Lonicera tatarica
- Lonicera × tellmanniana
- Lonicera tomentella
- Lonicera tragophylla
- Lonicera trichosantha
- Lonicera webbiana
- Lonicera xylosteum
- Lonicera yunnanensis
A very dense bush forming a rounded mass of interlacing branches 6 to 8 ft high; branchlets slightly downy or glabrous when young; bark peeling off in thin strips the second year. Leaves often in threes, oblong or ovate, rounded or slightly heart-shaped at the base, blunt at the apex, 1⁄2 to 1 in. long, about half as wide; dull green and glabrous above, paler and downy beneath, often becoming glabrous; stalk 1⁄8 in. or less long. Flowers produced in May and June in pairs from the shoots of the current year, often six at one joint, fragrant; corolla pale pink, 1⁄2 in. across, the tube 1⁄4 in. long, downy on both sides; lobes rounded-ovate, equal. Calyx-lobes narrow-oblong, downy; style and flower-stalk very short.
Native of the Himalaya; long cultivated at Kew. It is closely allied to L. thibetica, but is distinguished by the dull green, blunt-ended leaves not being white-felted beneath. These two species differ from all other cultivated honeysuckles in their globose shape and impenetrable mass of branches. It is an interesting species, but does not blossom freely.
var. rupicola
Synonyms
Lonicera thibetica Bureau & Franch.
Editorial Note
Under the name Lonicera thibetica, Bean discussed a plant to be distinguished from L. rupicola by the ’white-felted undersurface of the leaves, and deeper coloured smaller flowers,’ a description that is at odds with the current treatment of L. rupicola at infraspecific rank, and may relate to a specific collection or garden variety.
A deciduous shrub of low, spreading habit when young, forming in the adult state a dense rounded mass of intertwined branches 6 ft high and 10 ft or more through; young shoots purplish, downy, the bark peeling in thin strips the second year. Leaves often in threes, narrowly oblong, rounded at the base, pointed, 1⁄3 to 1 in. long, 1⁄8 to 1⁄3 in. wide, dark glossy green and glabrous above, covered with a dense white felt beneath; stalk 1⁄12 in. or less in length. Flowers produced in pairs during May and June from the leaf-axils of the young shoots, often six flowers at each joint, fragrant, 1⁄3 in. across, lilac-coloured and perfumed like lilac. Corolla-tube 1⁄2 in. long, downy within and without; lobes equal, roundish ovate. Calyx-lobes awl-shaped, downy, as long as the style. Berries red, oblong, 1⁄4 in. long.
Native of W. China; introduced in 1897. A very pretty and distinct honeysuckle, allied to L. rupicola, but easily distinguished by the white-felted undersurface of the leaves, and deeper coloured smaller flowers. Var. syringantha has leaves quite glabrous beneath and the corolla glabrous on the outside.
var. syringantha (Maxim.) Zabel
Synonyms
Lonicera syringantha Maxim.
Editorial Note
Treated by Bean under the name Lonicera syringantha.
A deciduous shrub of graceful, spreading habit, up to 6 ft high; young shoots slender, quite glabrous. Leaves in pairs or threes, oblong or inclined to ovate, the base rounded or slightly heart-shaped, the apex bluntish or broad-pointed, 1⁄2 to 1 in. long, 3⁄16 to 3⁄8 in. wide, dull rather glaucous green, quite glabrous; stalk 1⁄12 in. long. Flowers in axillary pairs, produced on a slender stalk 1⁄4 in. long during May and June from the lower and middle joints of the young shoots, soft lilac in colour, lilac-scented. Corolla-tube 1⁄2 in. long, slender, cylindrical, glabrous outside, hairy within; the flower is 1⁄2 in. across the rounded-ovate lobes. Calyx-lobes lance-shaped, glabrous. Style quite short. Fruits red. Bot. Mag., t. 7989.
Native of China and Tibet; introduced about 1890. A very elegant and pleasing shrub, with delicately coloured and charmingly fragrant flowers, which are not always abundantly borne. It is allied to L. thibetica and L. tomentella, differing in the quite glabrous leaves.
