Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand.-mazz.

Wintercreeper (en), Fusain de Fortune (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Celastrales > Celastraceae > Euonymus

Characteristics

Evergreen subshrubs, ascending or procumbent on ground or rock, trees sometimes dwarfed, to 10 m tall; branches and twigs rounded, sometimes striate, usually brown or green-brown. Leaves densely arranged on branches; petiole 2-9 mm, sometimes sessile; leaf blade variously ovate or ovate-elliptic, 2-5.5 × 2-3.5 cm, glabrous, base nearly truncate, at times ± cuneate, margin crenulate to serrate, apex obtuse to acute; lateral veins 4-6 pairs, invisible. Peduncle usually with few flowers; pedicel usually less than ca. 5 mm. Flowers 4-merous, ca. 5 mm in diam.; sepals semirotund; petals nearly orbicular, greenish or whitish. Capsule brown to red-brown, 5-6 mm in diam. Aril red. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Sep-Dec.
More
Vines to 20 m. Stems prostrate to erect, <climbing by adventitious roots>; young branches terete, not corky winged. Leaves persistent; petiole 5–10 mm; blade lanceolate, ovate, elliptic, to broadly obovate-elliptic, 1–9 × 0.5–5 cm, base cuneate, acute, obtuse, to rounded, margins crenate-serrate, apex obtuse, acute, or acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, 5–15-flowered. Flowers: sepals 4; petals 4, white to pale green, oblong, 3–4 × 2–3 mm; stamens 4; ovary smooth. Capsules straw colored to orange, globose, 6–8 mm diam., unlobed or very shallowly 4-lobed, lobes clearly connate, surface smooth. Seeds ellipsoid, 4–6 mm; aril orange. 2n = 32.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support climber free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.5 - 2.0
Mature height (meter) 2.75 - 3.5
Root system adventitious-root creeping-root
Rooting depth (meter) 0.5
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

Woods and thickets in low mountains all over Japan. Common in woodlands, scrub, and forests; at elevations from near sea level to 3,400 metres or higher.
Light 4-8
Soil humidity 3-6
Soil texture 2-5
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-8

Usage

Uses environmental use material medicinal ornamental poison
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use Diuretic (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 220 - 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 7 - 11
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -23
Optimum temperature (C°) 12 - 20
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Euonymus fortunei habit picture by Melissa Melissa Keneely (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus fortunei habit picture by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus fortunei habit picture by Else Nolden (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Euonymus fortunei leaf picture by Samy Gyo Rei (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus fortunei leaf picture by Ian Scott (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus fortunei leaf picture by romanowski harald (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Euonymus fortunei flower picture by Markus Ertmer (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus fortunei flower picture by Jurek P (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Euonymus fortunei fruit picture by Ronald Pieczak (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus fortunei fruit picture by Veronica Feihl (cc-by-sa)
Euonymus fortunei fruit picture by Tom Flower (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Euonymus fortunei world distribution map, present in Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Slovakia, Thailand, Taiwan, Province of China, United States of America, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:160893-1
WFO ID wfo-0000681760
COL ID 3CGW7
BDTFX ID 26380
INPN ID 97898
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Euonymus fortunei f. kewensis Elaeodendron fortunei Euonymus patens Euonymus radicans Cassine fortunei Euonymus austroliukiuensis Euonymus carrieri Euonymus gracilis Euonymus hederaceus Euonymus kiautschovicus Euonymus wensiensis Masakia radicans Euonymus fortunei f. albifructus Euonymus kewensis Euonymus fortunei f. picta Euonymus fortunei f. reticulatus Euonymus fortunei f. rugosus Euonymus japonicus var. chinensis Euonymus japonicus var. radicans Euonymus radicans var. alticolus Euonymus fortunei var. radicans Euonymus radicans var. carrierei Euonymus japonicus var. carrierei Euonymus radicans var. vegetus Euonymus kiautschovicus var. patens Euonymus fortunei var. patens Euonymus radicans var. acutus Euonymus radicans var. kewensis Euonymus radicans var. coloratus Euonymus radicans var. minimus Euonymus fortunei var. acuminatus Euonymus radicans var. angustifolius Euonymus japonicus var. gracilis Euonymus japonicus var. reticulatus Euonymus japonicus var. acutus Euonymus fortunei f. radicans Euonymus fortunei f. carrierei Euonymus fortunei f. vegetus Euonymus radicans f. coloratus Euonymus fortunei f. minimus Euonymus fortunei f. angustifolius Euonymus fortunei f. gracilis Euonymus radicans var. rugosus Euonymus radicans var. minima Euonymus fortunei Euonymus japonicus

Lower taxons

Euonymus fortunei var. villosus Euonymus fortunei var. vegatus