Parrotia persica
| Parrotia persica | |
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| Specimen planted in Belgium | |
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| Genus: | Parrotia C.A.Mey.
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| Species: | P. persica
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| Binomial name | |
| Parrotia persica | |
Parrotia persica (Persian ironwood) is a deciduous tree in the family Hamamelidaceae, the sole species in the genus Parrotia but closely related to the witch-hazel genus Hamamelis. It is native to northern Iran, where it is endemic in the Alborz mountains.
Parrotia is named for the German naturalist Friedrich Parrot.[1]
Description
It grows to 30 m (98 ft) tall and 8–15 m (26–49 ft) broad, with a trunk up to 150 cm (59 in) in diameter. The bark is smooth, pinkish-brown flaking/peeling to leave cinnamon, pink, green, and pale yellow patches in a similar manner to plane trees. The leaves are alternate, ovoid, often slightly lop-sided, 6–15 cm (2–6 in) long and 4–10 cm (2–4 in) across, with wavy margins; they are glossy green, turning a rich purple to brilliant red in autumn.
The flowers are somewhat similar to witch-hazel flowers but dark red; they are likewise produced in late winter on bare stems, but differ in having only four rounded sepals with no petals; the stamens are however fairly conspicuous, forming a dense red cluster 3-4 mm across. The fruit is a two-parted capsule containing two seeds, one in each half.[2]
Cultivation
P. persica is cultivated as an ornamental tree for its stunning autumn colour and the smooth, patterned bark.[3]
Several cultivars have been selected for garden planting:
- 'Horizontalis': semi-weeping, wide-spreading horizontal branching pattern.
- 'Pendula' (Kew Form): Compact, weeping, quite graceful
- 'Select': Young leaves have purple margins, otherwise same as species
- 'Vanessa': Upright, columnar habit
Gallery
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February Flowers, Muséum de Toulouse. -
September leaves.
References
- ^ Coombes, Allen J. (2012). The A to Z of plant names. USA: Timber Press. p. 312. ISBN 9781604691962.
- ^ Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 0199206872.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Parrotia persica". Retrieved 25 May 2013.
See also
