Early stachyurus

Description

Stachyurus praecox, early stachyurus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Stachyuraceae, native to Japan. It is a spreading deciduous shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall by 3 m (10 ft) wide. Pendant, bell-shaped, primrose yellow flowers are borne on naked arching branches in winter and spring. They are followed by ovate leaves, which colour to pink or red before falling in autumn. The Latin specific epithet praecox means "early", referring to the exceptionally early flowering season. It was first described in 1836 by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini. This plant is cultivated as an ornamental subject in temperate parks and gardens, though rarely seen. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Stachyurus is the only genus in the flowering plant family Stachyuraceae, native to the Himalayas and eastern Asia. They are deciduous shrubs or small trees with pendent racemes of 4-petalled flowers which appear on the bare branches before the leaves. The plants have leaves with serrate margins. Pendunculagin, casuarictin, strictinin, casuarinin and casuariin are ellagitannins found in species in this genus. Stachyurus praecox from Japan, and the slightly later-flowering S. chinensis from China, are both cultivated as ornamental plants, valued for their exceptionally early flowering periods. Stachyurus is the only genus in the flowering plant family Stachyuraceae, native to the Himalayas and eastern Asia. They are deciduous shrubs or small trees with pendent racemes of 4-petalled flowers which appear on the bare branches before the leaves. The plants have leaves with serrate margins. Pendunculagin, casuarictin, strictinin, casuarinin and casuariin are ellagitannins found in species in this genus. Stachyurus praecox from Japan, and the slightly later-flowering S. chinensis from China, are both cultivated as ornamental plants, valued for their exceptionally early flowering periods. Stachyurus is the only genus in the flowering plant family Stachyuraceae, native to the Himalayas and eastern Asia. They are deciduous shrubs or small trees with pendent racemes of 4-petalled flowers which appear on the bare branches before the leaves. The plants have leaves with serrate margins.