Clethra arborea
| Clethra arborea | |
|---|---|
| File:Clethra arborea1.jpg | |
| Flowers | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Clethraceae |
| Genus: | Clethra |
| Species: | C. arborea |
| Binomial name | |
| Clethra arborea Aiton | |
Clethra arborea, commonly known as the Lily of the Valley Tree, is a flowering plant in the genus Clethra, native to Madeira, extinct in the Canary Islands and introduced to the Azores. In Madeira its natural habitat is Laurisilva forest.
It is an evergreen narrowly upright shrub or small tree, growing to about 6 m tall and 4 m wide. The foliage is dense and glossy, with the leaves up to 7–10 cm long. The flowers are small, white and fragrant, similar in appearance to those of Lily of the Valley, hence the common name; they are grouped in terminal panicles and bloom in early to mid summer.[1] The plant is toxic to humans; it contains andromedotoxin which may cause diarrhea and even sudden death.[2]
Contents
Cultivation
The tree prefers moist, acidic and well-drained soils, disliking alkaline soils. It is sensitive to frost and likely to die if the temperature falls below -3°C. It is propagated by seeds, cuttings and air-layering.[1]
References
Notes
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- "Clethra arborea". Cool Exotics. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- "Clethra arborea". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 16 May 2010.Template:Ericales-stub
