honeysuckle

1. Any of various shrubs or vines of the genus Lonicera, having opposite leaves, fragrant, usually paired tubular flowers, and small berries.
2. Any of various similar or related plants.

[Middle English honysoukel, alteration of honisouke, from Old English hunīsūce : hunig, honey + sūcan, to suck; see suck.]

Description

Honeysuckle is a large, volubilate shrub of the genus Lonicera. There are over 300 species of honeysuckle in the Caprifoliaceae family, found from Asia to North America. The shrub reaches heights of 20–30 ft (6–9 m), with thin, hairy branches. It has ovoid leaves that range 1.2–3.2 in (3–8 cm) long by 0.6–1.6 in (1.5–4.0 cm) wide. The plant flowers in late spring or early summer, depending on the species. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) blooms in the spring from April to May, with fragrant white flowers touched with a shade of purple that fade to yellow as they mature. The species of honeysuckle that is found in North America, the United Kingdom, and western Asia, Lonicera caprifolium, flowers in June. Generally, honeysuckle flowers are 1.2–1.6 in (3–4) cm long, with an inner tube of approximately the same length. All varieties of honeysuckle are famous for this tube, which is extracted and sucked for its sweet nectar. The shrub also produces a black berry. Despite the sweetness of its fragrance and nectar, the medicinal parts of the plant are bitter, due to the saponin in its stem, the 8% tannin in the leaves and the 1% insitol in its flowers.

General Use

Japanese honeysuckle (L. japonica, also called Japanese jin yin hua, which means gold and silver flower) and common honeysuckle (L. caprifolium, also called Italian honeysuckle, Dutch honeysuckle, and woodbine) are both widely used for their medicinal qualities. Although the Chinese most commonly use the bud of the flower in their medical practice, in other countries it is mostly the flowers and leaves that are used for their healing properties. Japanese honeysuckle works well as a detoxifier, and is best used for acute infections and inflammations. As an alterative, which cleanses and purifies the blood, and an antipyretic, which reduces fever with its cooling properties, Japanese honeysuckle is best used for such ailments as sore throats, swollen eyes, headaches, etc.

Acute Infections and Inflammations

Japanese honeysuckle is most useful in treating acute illnesses, infections and inflammations. At the onset of a cold, honeysuckle should be taken in combination with chrysanthemum flowers. Several popular Chinese formulas, such as yin chaio and ganmaoling, contain this herbal combination. Because it is a natural antibiotic, honeysuckle can also be used to treat infections caused by staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria. Honeysuckle should be used for acute conditions, and is not meant to be used in the treatment of chronic illnesses.

Skin Infections

Honeysuckle works well against internal infections, and it can also be used externally for skin irritation and infections. Honeysuckle has been found useful in alleviating rashes ranging from skin diseases to poison oak. For these types of skin ailments, honeysuckle is best used as a poultice. For cuts and abrasions that may become infected, a honeysuckle infusion can be applied externally. It is in treating skin infections that the stems of honeysuckle are used.

Circulatory System

John Gerard, a master herbalist of the sixteenth century, said that honeysuckle's "floures, be steeped in oile, and set in the Sun, are good to annoint the body that is bennumed, and growne very cold." Indeed, L. caprifolium as a fixed oil is good for the circulatory system. When it is heated and smoothed onto the skin, it has been shown to have a vasodilatory effect, causing the blood to flow into the dermis, which is the thick layer of skin beneath the epidermis.

Asthma and Coughs

L. caprifolium can be used for asthma on account of its antispasmodic properties. An herbal infusion of the leaves is the best method for treating asthma. A decoction of honeysuckle flowers can be used for coughs.

Other Uses

The seeds of L. caprifolium can be used as a diuretic. L. villosa, also known as American honeysuckle, has been used as a kidney stimulant. L. japonica has been used to treat dysentery, and diarrhea.

Preparations

Three teaspoons of the leaf infusion can be taken three times a day. For skin irritation, honeysuckle should be made into an infusion or poultice and applied externally to the skin. When honeysuckle is compounded in capsule form, 10–17 g can be taken daily.

Precautions

Although honeysuckle poultices are used for skin irritations, there have been cases of contact dermititis reported from pulling up Japanese honeysuckle. A patient that had come into contact with L. japonica reported developing a line of itchy blisters. People often taste honeysuckle tubes for their nectar; however, several cases of plant poisoning have been reported in children. The symptoms include gastrointestinal discomfort and muscle cramps.

Side Effects

There are no known side effects from using honeysuckle.

Interactions

No known adverse drug interactions have been reported with honeysuckle.

Resources

Books

Hallowell, Michael. Herbal Healing. Vonore, TN: Avery Publishing Group, 1994.

Mabey, Richard. The New Age Herbalist. London: Gaia Books, 1988.

Ritchason, Jack. The Little Herb Encyclopedia. Pleasant Grove, UT: Woodland Health Books, 1995.

[Article by: Katherine Y. Kim]

The strong scent of honeysuckle and the way it twines round the stems of other plants are the likely reasons why it symbolizes erotic love. When it coils tightly round a growing plant, the latter develops spiralling grooves and swellings; hazel rods distorted in this way were prized for walking sticks, called ‘honeysuckle sticks’ or ‘twisty sticks’. In Sussex, these were thought to bring luck, especially to young men who were courting.

Common Greek enrichment resembling a honeysuckle flower, and called anthemion or palmette.

For other uses, see Honeysuckle (disambiguation).

Honeysuckle
1. A flowering branch, 2. A fruiting branch, 3. Longitudinal section of a flower, 4. Fruit cut horizontally.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Dipsacales
Family:	Caprifoliaceae
Genus:	Lonicera L.
Species
See text - Selected Species

Honeysuckles (Lonicera, pronounced /lɒˈnɪsərə/;^[1] syn. Caprifolium Mill.) are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle, 100 of which occur in China; Europe and North America have only about 20 native species each. Widely known species include Lonicera periclymenum (European Honeysuckle or Woodbine), Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle, White Honeysuckle, or Chinese Honeysuckle) and Lonicera sempervirens (Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle, or Woodbine Honeysuckle). Hummingbirds are attracted to these plants.

The leaves are opposite, simple oval, 1–10 cm long; most are deciduous but some are evergreen. Many of the species have sweetly-scented, bell-shaped flowers that produce a sweet, edible nectar. Breaking of the Honeysuckle's stem will release this powerful sweet odor. The fruit is a red, blue or black berry containing several seeds; in most species the berries are mildly poisonous, but a few (notably Lonicera caerulea) have edible berries. The plant is eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on honeysuckles.

The name Lonicera stems from Adam Lonicer, a Renaissance botanist.

Contents 1 Medicinal properties 2 Selected species 3 Honeysuckle in popular culture 4 References 5 External links

Medicinal properties

Honeysuckle is used in herbal cough medicines.^{[citation needed]}

Selected species

Lonicera acuminata   Lonicera albiflora - White Honeysuckle   Lonicera alpigena - Alpine Honeysuckle   Lonicera altmannii   Lonicera angustifolia   Lonicera anisocalyx   Lonicera arborea   Lonicera arizonica - Arizona Honeysuckle   Lonicera biflora   Lonicera bournei   Lonicera brevisepala   Lonicera buchananii   Lonicera buddleioides   Lonicera caerulea - Blue-berried Honeysuckle   Lonicera calcarata   Lonicera calvescens   Lonicera canadensis - American Fly Honeysuckle   Lonicera caprifolium - Perfoliate Honeysuckle   Lonicera carnosifolis   Lonicera chrysantha - Chrysantha Honeysuckle         Lonicera ciliosa Lonicera ciliosa - Orange Honeysuckle   Lonicera ciliosissima   Lonicera cinerea   Lonicera codonantha   Lonicera confusa   Lonicera conjugialis - Purpleflower Honeysuckle   Lonicera crassifolia   Lonicera cyanocarpa   Lonicera dasystyla - Tonkinese Honeysuckle   Lonicera dioica - Limber Honeysuckle   Lonicera elisae   Lonicera etrusca - Etruscan honeysuckle   Lonicera fargesii   Lonicera ferdinandii   Lonicera ferruginea   Lonicera flava - Yellow Honeysuckle   Lonicera fragilis   Lonicera fragrantissima - Winter Honeysuckle   Lonicera fulvotomentosa   Lonicera glutinosa   Lonicera graebneri   Lonicera gynochlamydea   Lonicera hellenica - Greek Honeysuckle   Lonicera hemsleyana   Lonicera heterophylla   Lonicera hildebrandiana - Giant Burmese Honeysuckle   Lonicera hirsuta - Hairy Honeysuckle   Lonicera hispida   Lonicera hispidula - Pink Honeysuckle   Lonicera humilis   Lonicera hypoglauca   Lonicera hypoleuca   Lonicera implexa   Lonicera inconspicua   Lonicera inodora   Lonicera interrupta - Chaparral Honeysuckle   Lonicera involucrata - Bearberry honeysuckle   Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle   Lonicera jilongensis   Lonicera kansuensis   Lonicera kawakamii   Lonicera korolkowii - Blueleaf Honeysuckle

Lonicera lanceolata   Lonicera ligustrina   Lonicera litangensis   Lonicera longiflora   Lonicera longituba   Lonicera maackii - Amur Honeysuckle   Lonicera macrantha   Lonicera macranthoides   Lonicera maximowiczii   Lonicera microphylla   Lonicera minuta   Lonicera minutifolia   Lonicera modesta   Lonicera morrowii - Morrows honeysuckle   Lonicera mucronata   Lonicera myrtillus   Lonicera nervosa   Lonicera nigra - Black-berried Honeysuckle   Lonicera nitida - Box or Boxleaf honeysuckle   Lonicera nubium   Lonicera nummulariifolia   Lonicera oblata   Lonicera oblongifolia - Swamp Fly Honeysuckle   Lonicera oiwakensis   Lonicera oreodoxa   Lonicera orientalis   Lonicera pampaninii   Lonicera periclymenum - Common (or European) honeysuckle, Woodbine   Lonicera pileata - Privet honeysuckle   Lonicera pilosa - Mexican Honeysuckle   Lonicera praeflorens   Lonicera prostrata   Lonicera pyrenaica   Lonicera reticulata - Grape Honeysuckle   Lonicera retusa   Lonicera rhytidophylla   Lonicera rupicola   Lonicera ruprechtiana - Manchurian Honeysuckle   Lonicera saccata   Lonicera schneideriana   Lonicera semenovii   Lonicera sempervirens - Trumpet Honeysuckle   Lonicera serreana   Lonicera setifera   Lonicera similis   Lonicera spinosa   Lonicera splendida - Evergreen Honeysuckle   Lonicera standishii - Standish's Honeysuckle   Lonicera stephanocarpa   Lonicera subaequalis   Lonicera subhispida   Lonicera sublabiata   Lonicera subspicata - Southern Honeysuckle   Lonicera szechuanica   Lonicera taipeiensis   Lonicera tangutica   Lonicera tatarica - Tartarian Honeysuckle   Lonicera tatarinowii   Lonicera tomentella   Lonicera tragophylla   Lonicera tricalysioides   Lonicera trichogyne   Lonicera trichosantha   Lonicera trichosepala   Lonicera tubuliflora   Lonicera utahensis - Utah Honeysuckle   Lonicera villosa - Mountain Fly Honeysuckle   Lonicera virgultorum   Lonicera webbiana   Lonicera xylosteum - (European) Fly Honeysuckle, Dwarf Honeysuckle, Fly Woodbine   Lonicera yunnanensis

Honeysuckle in popular culture

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2009)

Lonicera periclymenum

• The hazel and the honeysuckle signify the two fated lovers Tristan and Isolde in Marie de France's "Chevrefoil."
• In the book The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, the smell of honeysuckle is mentioned often to imply sexual activity on the part of the character Caddy.
• The British actress Honeysuckle Weeks was named after the honeysuckle flowers, which were in bloom at the time of her birth.
• Honeysuckle Rose is a song composed by the jazz pianist Fats Waller and the lyricist Andy Razaf.
• Honeysuckle Rose is also a 1980 Willie Nelson film.
• Honeysuckle is mentioned in Robert Frost's poem "To Earthward," as well as the O.A.R. song "Earthward" which quotes the poem.
• The band Drivin' N' Cryin' is well known for their 1989 single "Honeysuckle Blue"

References

1. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Caprifoliaceae

External links

• Flora Europaea: Lonicera
• Flora of China: Lonicera species list

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - kaprifolium

Nederlands (Dutch)
kamperfoelie

Français (French)
n. - chèvrefeuille

Deutsch (German)
n. - (Bot.) Geißblatt

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ.) αιγόκλημα, αγιόκλημα

Italiano (Italian)
caprifoglio

Português (Portuguese)
n. - madressilva (f) (Bot.)

Русский (Russian)
жимолость

Español (Spanish)
n. - madreselva

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - kaprifol (bot.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
忍冬, 金银花

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 忍冬, 金銀花

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 인동덩굴 속

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - スイカズラ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) صريمه الجدي, شجيرة أزهارها غنيه يالرحيق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮יערה (שיח מטפס)‬

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