Daphne (plant)

Daphne
Daphne pontica in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Thymelaeaceae
Genus:	Daphne
Species
See text

Daphne ( /ˈdæfniː/; Greek: Δάφνη, meaning "laurel") is a genus of between 50 and 95 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to Asia, Europe, and north Africa. They are noted for their scented flowers and poisonous berries.

Description

The flowers lack petals and have four (rarely five) petaloid sepals, ranging in colour from greenish-yellow to white and bright pink; most of the evergreen species have greenish flowers, while the deciduous species tend to have pink flowers. Many species flower in late winter or very early spring.

Species

One species, Daphne papyracea or the Lokta plant, is sustainably harvested in Nepal for paper production.

Selected species

Daphne acutiloba Daphne alpina Daphne altaica Daphne angustiloba Daphne arbuscula Daphne arisanensis Daphne aurantiaca Daphne axillaris Daphne bholua Daphne blagayana Daphne brevituba Daphne caucasica Daphne championii Daphne cneorum Daphne depauperata Daphne emeiensis Daphne erosiloba Daphne esquirolii Daphne feddei Daphne gemmata Daphne genkwa Daphne giraldii Daphne glomerata

Daphne gnidioides Daphne gnidium Daphne gracilis Daphne grueningiana Daphne holosericea Daphne jasminea Daphne jezoensis Daphne jinyuensis Daphne kamtschatica Daphne kiusiana Daphne kosaninii Daphne laciniata Daphne laureola Daphne leishanensis Daphne limprichtii Daphne longilobata Daphne longituba Daphne macrantha Daphne malyana Daphne mezereum Daphne modesta Daphne mucronata Daphne myrtilloides

Daphne odora Daphne oleoides Daphne papyracea Daphne pedunculata Daphne penicillata Daphne petraea Daphne pontica Daphne pseudomezereum Daphne purpurascens Daphne retusa Daphne rhynchocarpa Daphne rodriguezii Daphne rosmarinifolia Daphne sericea Daphne sophia Daphne striata Daphne sureil Daphne tangutica Daphne tenuiflora Daphne tripartita Daphne xichouensis Daphne yunnanensis

Gallery

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  Daphne mezereum in flower

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  Daphne odora in flower

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  Daphne striata in flower

External links

• Flora of China: draft text of Daphne (site currently down; available at google cache)
• Flora Europaea: Daphne