Buddleja × wardii

Buddleja × wardii
Terminal inflorescence, Buddleja × wardii (white form)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Buddleja
Species: B. × wardii
Binomial name
Buddleja × wardii
C.Marquand

Buddleja × wardii is a naturally occurring hybrid of Buddleja alternifolia and Buddleja crispa discovered and collected by Frank Kingdon-Ward in 1924 from the mountain riverbanks of south-eastern Xizang (formerly Tibet) at altitudes of 3000–3600 m; B. alternifolia and B. crispa are the only other species found in the area. The shrub was named for Ward by Cecil Marquand in 1929. [1][2][3] White-flowering plants under this name were collected in Tibet by Keith Rushforth and introduced to commerce in the UK in 2013.

Description

Leaf detail

Buddleja × wardii is a shrub 1–5 m tall, with stellate tomentose glabrescent branchlets bearing leaves arranged both opposite and alternate, the blade elliptic to subelliptic, 0.5–5.0 × 0.3–2.0 cm, shortly stellate tomentose, margin repand-crenate, the apex acuminate to acute. The terminal inflorescences are cymose, 1.5–2.0 cm in diameter, comprising pale lilac or white flowers with orange throats; the corolla tubes about 7 × 2 mm.[3][1] The shrub flowers in April in southern England.

Cultivation

The hybrid is very rare in cultivation, and not held by any of the 27 major American and European botanical gardens and arboreta linked to the RBG Edinburgh multisite search engine. A specimen is held by the NCCPG National Collection of Buddleja at the Longstock Park Nursery, near Stockbridge. [4] Hardiness: USDA zones 8–9.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Leeuwenberg, A. J. M. (1979) The Loganiaceae of Africa XVIII Buddleja L. II, Revision of the African & Asiatic species. H. Veenman & Zonen B. V., Wageningen, Nederland.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stuart, D. D. (2006). Buddlejas. RHS Plant Collector Guide. Timber Press, Oregon. ISBN 978-0-88192-688-0.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Marquand, C. (1929). J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 48: 203. 1929.
  4. ↑ Moore, P. (2015). Buddleja List 2014-2015 Longstock Park Nursery. Longstock Park, UK.