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Fortune fontanesia (Fontanesia fortunei)

Description

Fontanesia fortunei, commonly called fontanesia is a multi-stemmed privet-like deciduous shrub or small tree that typically grows in cultivation to 10-15' tall, but reportedly may grow to as much as 30-40' tall in its native habitat in China. Quadrangular stems are clad with opposite, narrow-ovate to lanceolate, dark green leaves. No fall color. Four-petaled, greenish-white flowers each to 1/6" long bloom in late spring in small panicles axillary racemes to 2" long. Fruit is a flat, brown-winged samara 3/8" long. Some authorities have now split this shrub into two subspecies namely Fontanesia philliraeoides subsp. fortunesia (native to China featuring glossy green leaves to 5" long and Fontanesia philliraeoides subsp. philliraeoides native to southern Europe the Middle East and southwestern Asia featuring dull green leaves to 3" long.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum:

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Lamiales

            • Family: Oleaceae

              • Genus: Fontanesia