Spiraea Is Genus Of Plants

Spiraea

Genus of plants

For British warships of the same name, see HMS Spiraea. For the asteroid, see 1091 Spiraea.

Spiraea /spaɪˈriːə/,[1] sometimes spelled spirea in common names, and commonly known as meadowsweets or steeplebushes, is a genus of about 80 to 100 species[2] of shrubs in the family Rosaceae. They are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest diversity in eastern Asia.

 

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Species ...

The genus formerly included the herbaceous species now segregated into the genera Filipendula and Aruncus; recent genetic evidence has shown that Filipendula is only distantly related to Spiraea, belonging in the subfamily Rosoideae.

 

Description

 

Flower diagram of Spiraea hypericifolia

 

Spiraea betulifolia

 

Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame' 06

 

Spiraea betulifolia in autumn

Spiraea plants are hardy, deciduous-leaved shrubs. The leaves are simple and usually short stalked, and are arranged in a spiralling, alternate fashion. In most species, the leaves are lanceolate (narrowly oval) and about 2.5 to 10 centimetres (0.98 to 3.94 in) long. The leaf margins are usually toothed, occasionally cut or lobed, and rarely smooth. Stipules are absent.

 

The many small flowers of Spiraea shrubs are clustered together in inflorescences, usually in dense panicles, umbrella-like corymbs, or grape-like clusters. The radial symmetry of each flower is fivefold, with the flowers usually bisexual, rarely unisexual. The flowers have five sepals and five white, pink, or reddish petals that are usually longer than the sepals. Each flower has many (15 to 60) stamens. The fruit is an aggregate of follicles.[2]

 

Ecology

Spiraea species are used as food plants by the larvae of many Lepidoptera species, including the brown-tail, the small emperor moth, the grey dagger, the setaceous Hebrew character, and the moth Hypercompe indecisa.

 

The leaves of S. betulifolia are eaten by blue grouse in spring, and the plant is browsed by deer in summer.[3]

 

Uses

Food

Native Americans ate the species S. betulifolia.[4]

 

Horticulture

 

Spiraea japonica

Many species of Spiraea are used as ornamental plants in temperate climates, particularly for their showy clusters of dense flowers. Some species bloom in the spring, others in midsummer.

 

The following species, hybrids and cultivars are among those found in cultivation:

 

S. 'Arguta'

S. betulifolia

S. canescens

S. cantoniensis

S. × cinerea

S. douglasii

S. japonica

S. nipponica

S. prunifolia

S. × pseudosalicifolia

S. salicifolia

S. 'Snow White'

S. thunbergii

S. trichocarpa

S. × vanhouttei

S. veitchii[5]

Spiraea 'Arguta' (bridal wreath)[6] and Spiraea × cinerea 'Grefsheim'[7] have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

 

Traditional medicine

Spiraea contain salicylates. Acetylsalicylic acid was first isolated from Filipendula ulmaria,[citation needed] a species at the time classified in the genus Spiraea. The word "aspirin" was coined by adding a- (for acetylation) to spirin, from the German Spirsäure, a reference to Spiraea.[8][9][10]

 

Native American groups have various medicinal uses for local Spiraea species. S. betulifolia is used for abdominal pain and made into a tea.[11] The Blackfoot use S. splendens root in an enema and to treat venereal conditions.[12]

 

Other

Native Americans found S. douglasii useful for making brooms and hanging seafood to cook.[13]

 

Species

 

Spiraea thunbergii

Spiraea affinis

Spiraea alaskaense

Spiraea alba – narrow-leaved meadowsweet, pale bridewort

Spiraea albiflora

Spiraea amoena

Spiraea arcuata

Spiraea baldschuanica

Spiraea bella

Spiraea betulifolia – white meadowsweet

Spiraea blumei

Spiraea calcicola

Spiraea cana

Spiraea canescens – Himalayan spiraea

Spiraea cantoniensis – Reeve's spiraea

Spiraea chamaedryfolia – elm-leaf spiraea, germander meadowsweet

Spiraea crenata

Spiraea decumbens

Spiraea douglasii – Douglas' spiraea, steeplebush

Spiraea gemmata

Spiraea henryi

Spiraea hypericifolia – Iberian meadowsweet

Spiraea japonica – Japanese spiraea

Spiraea latifolia - broadleaf meadowsweet

Spiraea longigemmis

Spiraea lucida

Spiraea media – Russian spiraea

Spiraea micrantha

Spiraea miyabei

Spiraea mollifolia

Spiraea nervosa

Spiraea nipponica

Spiraea prunifolia – bridal-wreath spiraea

Spiraea pubescens

Spiraea rosthornii

Spiraea salicifolia – bridewort, willowleaf meadowsweet

Spiraea sargentiana

Spiraea septentrionalis – northern meadowsweet

Spiraea splendens – rose meadowsweet

Spiraea stevenii – beauverd spirea

Spiraea thunbergii – Thunberg's meadowsweet

Spiraea tomentosa – hardhack, steeplebush

Spiraea trichocarpa – Korean meadow spiraea[14]

Spiraea trilobata – Asian meadowsweet

Spiraea veitchii

Spiraea virginiana – Virginia spiraea

Spiraea wilsonii

Spiraea yunnanensis

Formerly placed here

Spiraea lobata, moved to Filipendula rubra

Spiraea discolor, moved to Holodiscus discolor

Hybrids

There are also numerous named hybrids, some occurring naturally in the wild, others bred in gardens, including several important ornamental plants:

 

Spiraea × arguta (S. × multiflora × S. thunbergii) – garland spiraea

Spiraea × billiardii (S. douglasii × S. salicifolia) – Billiard's spiraea

Spiraea × blanda (S. nervosa × S. cantoniensis)

Spiraea × brachybotrys (S. canescens × S. douglasii)

Spiraea × bumalda (S. japonica × S. albiflora)

Spiraea × cinerea (S. hypericifolia × S. cana)

Spiraea × conspicua (S. japonica × S. latifolia)

Spiraea × fontenaysii (S. canescens × S. salicifolia)

Spiraea × foxii (S. japonica × S. betulifolia)

Spiraea × gieseleriana (S. cana × S. chamaedryfolia)

Spiraea × macrothyrsa (S. douglasii × S. latifolia)

Spiraea × multiflora (S. crenata × S. hypericifolia)

Spiraea × notha (S. betulifolia × S. latifolia)

Spiraea × nudiflora (S. chamaedryfolia × S. bella)

Spiraea × pikoviensis (S. crenata × S. media)

Spiraea × pyramidata (S. betulifolia × S. douglasii) – pyramid spiraea

Spiraea × revirescens (S. amoena × S. japonica)

Spiraea × sanssouciana (S. japonica × S. douglasii)

Spiraea × schinabeckii (S. chamaedryfolia × S. trilobata)

Spiraea × semperflorens (S. japonica × S. salicifolia)

Spiraea × vanhouttei (S. trilobata × S. cantoniensis) – Van Houtte's spiraea

Spiraea × watsoniana (S. douglasii × S. densiflora)

Done