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Euonymus europaeus L.

Spindle tree (en), Fusain deurope (fr), Bonnet-d'évêque (fr), Fusain d'Europe (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Celastrales > Celastraceae > Euonymus

Characteristics

Shrubs or trees 2–10 m. Stems erect; young branches terete, not corky winged. Leaves deciduous; petiole 4–12 mm; blade ovate-elliptic, 2.5–10 × 1.5–3.5 cm, base attenuate to broadly cuneate, margins minutely denticulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, 1–7(–15)-flowered. Flowers: sepals 4; petals 4, yellow or white, oblong, 3–4 × 1–2 mm; stamens 4; ovary smooth. Capsules pink, obovoid, 8–10 × 12–15 mm, deeply (2–)4-lobed, rarely only 1 lobe developing, lobes clearly connate, surface smooth. Seeds obovoid, 7–8 × 4–5 mm; aril orange or yellow.
More
Much-branched glabrous, deciduous shrub or small tree up to 6 m high. Bark grey, smooth. Twigs green, quadrangular, smooth, not winged. Lvs opposite, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, acute or acuminate, crenate, usually turning red in autumn, 2-10 cm long; petiole 6-12 mm long. Cymes 2-15-flowered, pedunculate, dichotomous. Buds greenish, ± 4-angled; fls usually 4-merous, 8-10 mm diam.; petals greenish yellow, ± oblong, widely separated. Capsule 4-lobed, deep pink, exposing the bright orange aril after opening.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread myrmecochory
Mature width (meter) 2.5 - 4.0
Mature height (meter) 3.0 - 4.5
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

Forest margins, clearings and open woodland. Usually found as an understory species in mixed broadleaved oak-hornbeam forests, growing optimally on well-drained alkaline soils Woods, scrub and hedges, usually on calcareous soils.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 2-7
Soil texture 2-5
Soil acidity 4-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-7

Usage

Uses charcoal dye environmental use essential oil material medicinal poison wood
Edible fruits seeds
Therapeutic use Cardiotonic (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Emetic (unspecified), Liver (unspecified), Malaria (unspecified), Parasiticide (unspecified), Poison (unspecified), Soap (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified), Alterative (unspecified), Cholagogue (unspecified)
Human toxicity strong toxic (whole), strong toxic (fruit)
Animal toxicity strong toxic (whole), strong toxic (fruit)

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 220 - 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 16 - 20
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -30
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Euonymus europaeus habit picture by galtzagorri (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus europaeus habit picture by Gaël Covain (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus europaeus habit picture by Jean-Philippe JUDE (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Euonymus europaeus leaf picture by Simone Riva (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus europaeus leaf picture by Jean Gauberti (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus europaeus leaf picture by johann (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Euonymus europaeus flower picture by JOSE FELIX CREGO NEIRA (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus europaeus flower picture by Martijn Jongen (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus europaeus flower picture by Jf Gérard (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Euonymus europaeus fruit picture by Benjamin Perrin (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus europaeus fruit picture by Svidzynska Olha (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus europaeus fruit picture by skrendam (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Euonymus europaeus world distribution map, present in Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Canada, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America, Uzbekistan, and South Africa

Conservation status

Euonymus europaeus threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:160876-1
WFO ID wfo-0000681728
COL ID 3CGVN
BDTFX ID 26384
INPN ID 609982
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Euonymus europaeus f. angustifolius Euonymus czernjaevii Euonymus floribundus Euonymus pubescens Euonymus angustifolius Euonymus europaeus Euonymus odessanus Euonymus quadrigonus Euonymus suberosus Euonymus vulgaris Euonymus bulgaricus Euonymus moldavica Euonymus bulgarica Euonymus medirossica Euonymus latifolius Euonymus medius Euonymus moldavicus Euonymus europaeus var. australis Euonymus europaeus var. fibrilliferus Euonymus europaeus var. pumilus Euonymus europaeus var. suberosus Euonymus europaeus subsp. subvelutinus Euonymus europaeus f. bulgaricus Euonymus europaeus f. microphyllus Euonymus medirossicus Euonymus europaeus subsp. ponticus Euonymus europaeus var. involutus Euonymus europaeus var. suberoso-alatus Euonymus europaeus subsp. moldavicus Euonymus vulgaris var. microphyllus
WorldFloraDB 2024