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 leaves are undivided, mostly arranged alternately (although opposite in D. genkwa). The flowers lack petals and have four (rarely five) petaloid sepals, tubular at the base with free lobes at the apex. The flowers are grouped, either in clusters in the leaf axils towards the end of the stems or in terminal heads. They range in colour from greenish-yellow to white, bright pink and purple; 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. The fruits are one-seeded drupes, which in some species are fleshy and berry-like, in others dry and leathery.

Selected Species

Daphne acutiloba
Daphne alpina L.
Daphne altaica
Daphne angustiloba
Daphne arbuscula Čelak.
Daphne arisanensis
Daphne aurantiaca
Daphne axillaris
Daphne bholua
Daphne blagayana Freyer
Daphne brevituba
Daphne calcicola W.W.Sm.
Daphne caucasica
Daphne championii
Daphne cneorum L.
Daphne collina Dickson ex J.E.Smith
Daphne depauperata
Daphne emeiensis
Daphne erosiloba
Daphne esquirolii
Daphne feddei
Daphne gemmata
Daphne genkwa
Daphne giraldii Nitsche
Daphne glomerata Lam.
Daphne gnidioides
Daphne gnidium
Daphne gracilis
Daphne grueningiana
Daphne holosericea
Daphne jasminea Sibth. & Sm.
Daphne jezoensis Maxim. ex Regel.
Daphne jinyuensis
Daphne juliae Kos.-Pol.
Daphne kamtschatica Maxim.
Daphne kiusiana
Daphne kosaninii
Daphne laciniata
Daphne laureola L.
Daphne leishanensis
Daphne limprichtii
Daphne longilobata
Daphne longituba
Daphne macrantha Ludlow
Daphne malyana Blečić
Daphne mezereum L.
Daphne modesta
Daphne mucronata
Daphne myrtilloides
Daphne odora
Daphne oleoides Schreb.
Daphne papyracea
Daphne pedunculata
Daphne penicillata
Daphne petraea Leyb.
Daphne pontica L.
Daphne pseudomezereum
Daphne purpurascens
Daphne retusa Hemsl.
Daphne rhynchocarpa
Daphne rodriguezii Texidor
Daphne rosmarinifolia
Daphne sericea Vahl
Daphne sophia
Daphne striata Tratt.
Daphne sureil
Daphne tangutica Pritz. – may be treated as a synonym of D. retusa
Daphne tenuiflora
Daphne tripartita
Daphne xichouensis
Daphne yunnanensis
Hybrids

Numerous natural and artificial hybrids are cultivated as ornamental plants. These include:

D. × burkwoodii - D. cneorum × D. caucasica
D. × hendersonii Hodgkin ex C.D.Brickell – natural hybrid D. petraea × D. cneorum
D. × napolitana Lodd. has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. – origin not known
D. × schlyteri – artificial hybrid D. cneorum × D. arbuscula
D. × thauma Farrer – natural hybrid D. petraea × D. striata
^ "RHS Plant Selector - Daphne × burkwoodii". Retrieved 14 June 2013.
^ a b c
^ "RHS Plant Selector - Daphne × napolitana". Retrieved 14 June 2013.
^ Mail Order Daphne from Junker's Nursery (38a), Junker's Nursery, archived from the original on 2012-01-29, retrieved 2012-01-29
Uses

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

Many species are cultivated as ornamental shrubs in gardens. The smaller species are used as rock garden plants or, in the case of those more difficult to grow, as plants for the alpine house.

Gallery


Daphne mezereum in flower


Daphne odora in flower


Daphne striata in flower


Daphne glomerata in flower


source - Wikipedia