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Daphne mezereum L.

Paradise plant (en), Bois-gentil (fr), Bois-joli (fr), Daphné bois-joli (fr), Daphné bois-gentil (fr), Daphné mézéréon (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Malvales > Thymelaeaceae > Daphne

Characteristics

Shrubs to 1 m; branches glabrescent. Leaves deciduous, sessile; blade oblong to lanceolate, 3–8 × 1–2.5 cm, membranous, adaxial surface matte. Inflorescences 2–4-flowered. Flowers fragrant, sessile, appearing before leaves, clustered in axils of previous year’s growth; hypanthium pink, red, or white, tubular, 5–8 mm, sericeous; calyx lobes ovate or obtuse to rounded, 3–5 mm. Drupes red or yellow. 2n = 18.
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Shrub to 1 m; lvs deciduous, oblanceolate to oblong, 4–8 cm, tapering to the base; fls appearing in early spring in sessile lateral clusters of 2–4; hypanthium 7–9 mm, pubescent; sep ovate, pink to purple or white, 5 mm; fr red or yellow, to 1 cm; 2n=18. Native of Eurasia, well established as an escape from cult. from N.S. and Nf. to N.Y. and O.
A shrub.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination autogamy
Spread endozoochory
Mature width (meter) 1.5
Mature height (meter) 1.0 - 1.5
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 c3

Environment

Shady, damp, voniferous and deciduous mixed woodlands, often on rich calcareous soils.
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It is a temperate plant.
Light 3-7
Soil humidity 3-6
Soil texture 2-4
Soil acidity 5-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-7

Usage

Caution: All parts of the plant are poisonous. The unripe fruit are occasionally used as a substitute for pepper after cooking.
Uses dye environmental use medicinal oil ornamental poison
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use Analgesic (bark), Venereal Aid (bark), Analgesic (root), Venereal Aid (root), Diaphoretic (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified), Abortifacient (unspecified), Alterative (unspecified), Carcinogenic (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Liniment (unspecified), Poison (unspecified), Purgative (unspecified), Sclerosis(Uterus) (unspecified), Sialogogue (unspecified), Sudorific (unspecified), Syphilis (unspecified)
Human toxicity very strong toxic (bark), very strong toxic (whole), very strong toxic (fruit)
Animal toxicity very strong toxic (bark), very strong toxic (whole), very strong toxic (fruit)

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 150 - 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 10 - 15
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -33
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Daphne mezereum habit picture by Stefan Kamps (cc-by-sa)
Daphne mezereum habit picture by Simon Tamás (cc-by-sa)
Daphne mezereum habit picture by René Houriet (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Daphne mezereum leaf picture by zaunkönig (cc-by-sa)
Daphne mezereum leaf picture by Piotr Bednarek (cc-by-sa)
Daphne mezereum leaf picture by Peter Donay (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Daphne mezereum flower picture by Christoph Wagner (cc-by-sa)
Daphne mezereum flower picture by tina thurgau (cc-by-sa)
Daphne mezereum flower picture by Stefan Kamps (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Daphne mezereum fruit picture by Françoise Peyrissat (cc-by-sa)
Daphne mezereum fruit picture by Anisia (cc-by-sa)
Daphne mezereum fruit picture by Roland Heggli (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Daphne mezereum world distribution map, present in Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Canada, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, North Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, United States of America, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:831294-1
WFO ID wfo-0000637755
COL ID 344W3
BDTFX ID 21595
INPN ID 94435
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Daphne albiflora Daphne liottardi Thymelaea mezereum Mezereum officinarum Daphne florida Laureola foemina Daphne lateriflora Daphne lateriflora Daphne mezereum var. albida Daphne mezereum var. albaplena Daphne mezereum var. album Daphne mezereum var. rubrum Daphne mezereum

Lower taxons

Daphne mezereum subsp. rechingeri
WorldFloraDB 2024