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Summary

Forsythia suspensa #1 Oleaceae - China Liánqiào, Weeping Forsythia Shown: Detail of flower bud and flowers

"Forsythia (pronounced /fɔrˈsɪθiə/[1] or /fɔrˈsaɪθiə/) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae (olive family). There are about 11 species, mostly native to eastern Asia, but one native to southeastern Europe. The common name is also Forsythia; the genus is named after William Forsyth.

"They are deciduous shrubs typically growing to a height of 1–3 m (3–9 ft.) and, rarely, up to 6 m (18 ft.), with rough grey-brown bark. The leaves are opposite, usually simple but sometimes trifoliate with a basal pair of small leaflets, and range from 2–10 cm (1–4 in.) in length and, rarely, up to 15 cm (6 in.) long; the margin is serrated or entire. The flowers are produced in the early spring before the leaves, bright yellow with a deeply four-lobed corolla, the petals joined only at the base. These become pendant in rainy weather thus shielding the reproductive parts. The Forsythia's flowers are impressive with the fact that they are able to produce lactose (the milk sugar). Lactose is very rarely established in other natural sources except milk. The actual fruit is a dry capsule, containing several winged seeds.

"Forsythia suspensa (Chinese: 连翘; pinyin: liánqiào) is a flowering plant native to Asia. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine." (Wikipedia)

Details of morphology and distribution of F. suspensa: www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=2...

Photographed in U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley - Berkeley, California

Copyright status:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.ko

Source:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim-sf/5392393131/