Edgeworthia chrysantha

Edgeworthia chrysantha
Edgeworthia chrysantha at the botanical garden of Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini, Genova Pegli
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Thymelaeaceae
Genus: Edgeworthia
Species: E. chrysantha
Binomial name
Edgeworthia chrysantha
Sieb. & Zucc.
Synonyms
  • Edgeworthia papyrifera
  • Edgeworthia tomentosa Nakai

Edgeworthia chrysantha (common names: Oriental Paperbush, Mitsumata)[1] is a plant in the Thymelaeaceae family.[2]

Etymology

The genus was named in honour of Michael Pakenham Edgeworth (1812–1881), an Irish-born Victorian era amateur botanist, who worked for the East India Company, and for his sister, writer Maria Edgeworth.[3][4][5] The species name chrysantha derives from the Greek chrusos meaning 'golden' and 'anthos' meaning flower with reference to the gold coloured flowers.

Description

Edgeworthia chrysantha is a deciduous shrub with dark green, leathery, single, alternate, lanceolate leaves, 8–13 cm long. It can reach a height of 2–2.5 m. Flowers are yellow and fragrant, in clusters at the branch tips. The flowering period extends from February to April.

The bark fibres of this plants are used for making the handmade Japanese tissue called "mitsumata paper". Along with Kozo and Gampi it is used for making traditional Japanese paper or Washi. It is among other uses, used for banknotes as the paper is very durable.[1]

Distribution

This species can be found in south west China, Nepal and Japan.

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Banknotes are made from special paper!". Characteristics of Banknotes. National Printing Bureau (Japan)-www.npb.go.jp. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  2. eFloras, 2009
  3. Jackson, Benjamin Daydon; and Grout, Andrew (May 2010). Edgeworth, Michael Pakenham. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online version) (Oxford University Press). doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8477. ISBN 9-78019-861-412-8. Retrieved 20 February 2015. Edgeworth, Michael Pakenham (1812-1881), botanist and East India Company servant, was born on 24 May 1812 at Edgeworthstown, co. Longford, Ireland
  4. "Edgeworthia chrysantha: Paperbush". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  5. Meisner, C.D.F. Plantarum vascularium genera secundum ordines ... 2: 242. 1841 (18-24 Jul 1841)

Further reading

External links

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