Chimonanthus praecox (L.) Link

Fragrant wintersweet (en), Chimonanthe précoce (fr), Chimonanthe odorant (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Laurales > Calycanthaceae > Chimonanthus

Characteristics

Shrubs or small trees, 3-13 m tall, deciduous or sometimes with persistent leaves. Branchlets grayish brown, quadrangular when young but becoming subterete, glabrous or slightly puberulent, lenticellate; buds usually axillary on branches of previous year; bud scales subcircular, imbricate, outside pubescent. Petiole 0.3-1.8 cm, pubescent; leaf blade ovate, elliptic, broadly elliptic, ovate-elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or sometimes oblong-lanceolate, 5-29 × 2-12 cm, papery to subleathery, abaxially glabrous except for occasional scattered trichomes on veins, adaxially roughly scabrous, secondary veins 4-6 on each side of midvein, base cuneate to rounded, apex acute, acuminate, or sometimes caudate. Flowers on branches of previous year, solitary or paired, appearing generally before leaves, 1.5-4 cm in diam., sweetly fragrant. Pedicel 2-8 mm. Tepals 15-21, yellow but inner ones usually with purplish red pigment, 0.5-2 × 0.5-1.5 cm; outer tepals orbicular to obovate, puberulent, apex truncate or rounded; median tepals elliptic to oblong-elliptic, glabrous or sometimes margin ciliate, apex rounded to acute; inner tepals orbicular to oblong, glabrous or sometimes margin ciliate, base distinctly clawed, apex rounded. Stamens 5-8, 2.5-4 mm; filaments broad, longer, equal, or rarely shorter than anthers, basally pubescent or glabrous; anthers glabrous; connective puberulous or glabrous, apex acute; staminodes 2-15, subulate to linear-lanceolate, 2-3 mm, pubescent. Carpels 5-15, hirtellous at base; style ca. 3 × as long as ovary, pubescent at base. Pseudocarp urceolate, ovoid-ellipsoid, or obovoid-ellipsoid, 2-6 × 1-2.5 cm, subwoody, apex constricted, apical appendages 9 or 10, tapered lanceolate, with trichomes. Achenes 3-11, brown, ellipsoid to reniform, 15-16.5 × 5-5.6 mm, pubescent at base. Fl. Oct-Mar, fr. Apr-Nov. 2n = 22*.
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A deciduous shrub. It grows 3-3.7 m tall and spreads 2.5-3 m wide. The stems are thick and angular. The leaves are sword shaped and 20 cm long. The leaves are glossy and mid green. They have a rough surface. They turn pale yellow in autumn. The flowers are dull pale yellow and almost without stalks. There is a small maroon inner section. They have a sweet scent. The fruit are yellow-brown when ripe.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.5 - 2.5
Mature height (meter) 3.0 - 4.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a temperate plant. Plants are frost hardy. It suits hardiness zones 6-10. Melbourne Botanical gardens. Geelong Botanical Gardens. In Sichuan and Yunnan. Arboretum Tasmania.
More
Mountain forests at elevations of 500-1,100 metres.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 3-7
Soil texture 2-5
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 7-9

Usage

The flowers are thoroughly boiled, washed and eaten with oil and salt. The flower petals are used to flavour and scent tea.
Uses cosmetics environmental use essential oil material medicinal oil ornamental tea wood
Edible flowers
Therapeutic use Sialogogue (unspecified), Refrigerant (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed or by layering the stems.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 63 - 90
Germination temperacture (C°) 16 - 18
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking stratification
Minimum temperature (C°) -18
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Chimonanthus praecox habit picture by Estelle Lefrancois (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Chimonanthus praecox flower picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Chimonanthus praecox flower picture by sci nsk (cc-by-sa)
Chimonanthus praecox flower picture by sci nsk (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Chimonanthus praecox fruit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Chimonanthus praecox fruit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Chimonanthus praecox fruit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Chimonanthus praecox world distribution map, present in China and Japan

Conservation status

Chimonanthus praecox threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:139248-1
WFO ID wfo-0000602230
COL ID 5XS48
BDTFX ID 80335
INPN ID 991589
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Chimonanthus praecox f. intermedius Meratia fragrans Meratia praecox Meratia yunnanensis Calycanthus suaveolens Beureria praecox Chimonanthus caespitosus Chimonanthus fragrans Chimonanthus grandiflorus Chimonanthus luteus Chimonanthus parviflorus Chimonanthus verus Chimonanthus yunnanensis Chimonanthus baokanensis Butneria praecox Calycanthus praecox Chimonanthus praecox f. versicolor Chimonanthus praecox var. luteus Chimonanthus praecox var. reflexus Chimonanthus fragrans var. grandiflorus Chimonanthus praecox var. concolor Chimonanthus praecox var. grandiflorus Chimonanthus praecox var. intermedius Meratia praecox var. grandiflora Chimonanthus praecox f. luteus Chimonanthus baokanensis var. yupiensis Chimonanthus praecox