Loropetalum chinense

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:HAMAMELIDACEAE
Species:Loropetalum chinense (R. Br.) Oliv.
Common Name:Chinese fringe tree
Habitat:Escaping and naturalizing from cultivation.
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Shrub
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Native of SE Asia, China.
Taxonomic Notes:Chinese fringe tree is an introduced evergreen (semi-deciduous in colder locations) shrub or small tree in the Witch-Hazel family (Hamamelidaceae). It is native to China, northern India, and Japan. In the United States it is often planted as an ornamental for its showy flowers. In Alabama it has been collected as an escape in the southern half of the state. Chinese fringe tree grows as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree to 9-20 feet in height. The young branches are stellate pubescent. Leaves are petiolate, alternate, ovate to elliptic in outline, with an asymmetrical base and entire margins. The leaves are dark green above and sparsely pubescent or glabrescent and light green and densely stellate pubescent below. Flowers are produced in 3-16 flowered racemes on short lateral branches. Each flower has 4-5 ovate, pubescent sepals and 4-5 drooping strap-like petals. The petals are white, pale yellow, or red in color. The ovary is inferior and is enclosed in a persistent floral cup. The fruit is a stellate pubescent capsule enclosed 2/3--3/4 by the floral cup. The fruit is explosively dehiscent, shooting the seed several feet as the capsules dry out. Two varieties of Chinese fringe tree are cultivated in the United States. Loropetalum chinense var. chinense has green foliage and white or yellowish flowers, and Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum has purplish foliage and pink or red flowers. Chinese fringe tree is widely available from nurseries. It grows best grown in rich, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade.—A. Diamond
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyHAMAMELIDACEAE - Witch-Hazel family
Genus Loropetalum
Species Loropetalum chinense (R. Br.) Oliv. - Chinese fringe tree

Citation

Citation Loropetalum chinense (R. Brown) Oliver, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 23(4): 459, f. 4. 1862.
Basionym: Hamamelis chinensis R. Br. 1818.
Type: **

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

No synonyms exist for this species.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Conecuh, Etowah, Montgomery, Morgan

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, TROY, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
TROY000050929 Montgomery 02 Nov 2020 Diamond, Alvin R.
29514		 TROY
Loropetalum chinense (R. Br.) Oliv.
TROY000035625 Conecuh 29 Sep 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23450		 TROY
Loropetalum chinense (R. Brown) Oliver var. rubrum Yieh
UWAL0054223 Etowah 09 Feb 2020 Spaulding, Daniel D.
16771		 UWAL
Loropetalum chinense (R.Br.) Oliver
ALNHS00004004 Morgan 07 Mar 2016 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#2213		 ALNHS
Loropetalum chinense (R. Br.) Oliver
UWAL0014966 Conecuh 29 Sep 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23450		 UWAL
Loropetalum chinense (R. Brown) Oliver var. rubrum Yieh
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