Fragrant grove honeysuckle

Description

Lonicera acuminata, commonly known as fragrant grove honeysuckle or vine honeysuckle, is a plant species of honeysuckle native to China to Southeast Asia and India. Lonicera acuminata grows as a several meters high, semi-evergreen and fast-growing lignifying vine. The branches, petioles and peduncles are mostly hairy. The branches usually become hollow. The opposite or sometimes 3-whorled, simple leaves are short-stalked and with entire margins. The more or less hirsute (especially on the midvein) to bare, leathery leaves with often somewhat ciliate edges measure 2.5 to 13 centimeters in length and 1.3 to 4.5 centimeters in width. They are ovoid to -lanceolate or obovate to inverted lanceolate, pointed to rounded and often slightly cordate toward the short 2 to 15 millimeter long stem and acuminate to caudate at the apex. To reduce the evaporation rate, the leaves can also get rolled in slightly. The hermaphroditic, narrowly funnelform, five-petalled and reddish to purple or yellow flowers with a dichlamydeous perianth usually grow in stalked pairs, more rarely in small panicles, axillary at the branch apices. They have both bracts and bracteoles. The small calyx is pitcher-shaped with small teeth and the corolla is double-lipped, with a recurved, tongue-shaped lower lip. The long corolla tube is more or less hairy inside. The ovary is inferior with a long, firm, more or less hairy style with a large, head-like stigma. The five filaments are about as long as the corolla and are partly hairy in the lower part. Nectaries are present. The plants bloom fragrantly between May and July and in October and November they bear 4-6 millimeters large, roundish to ovoid, pruinose and blue-black, smooth berries with several seeds and calyx remains at the top. The seeds are ellipsoid to elongated and somewhat compressed. It grows on neutral to alkaline soils up to 3200 meters above sea level. Its origin is in Western China, Tibet, Nepal, Buthan, India and in the Asian tropics. Worldwide cultivation has led to spontaneous occurrences in other places.