Xylosma

Xylosma
Hawaiian Brushholly (Xylosma hawaiiense) foliage
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Eudicotyledoneae Subclass: Rosidae (unranked): Eurosids I Order: Malpighiales Family: Salicaceae Genus: Xylosma G.Forst.
Species
About 85-100, see text

Xylosma (pronounced /zaɪˈlɒzmə/)^[1] is a genus of between 85-100 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the willow family, Salicaceae. They are commonly known as brushhollies, xylosmas, or more ambiguously "logwoods".

The genus is predominantly native to the tropics, from the Caribbean, Central America, northern South America, the Pacific Islands, southern Asia and northern Australasia, but with two species – Shiny Xylosma (X. congestum) and X. japonicum – in warm-temperate eastern Asia (China, Korea and Japan).

The leaves are alternate, simple, entire or finely toothed, 2–10 centimetres (0.79–3.9 in) long. The flowers are small, yellowish, produced on racemes 1–3 centimetres (0.39–1.2 in) long, with a strong scent. The fruit is a small purple-black berry 5–10 millimetres (0.20–0.39 in) in diameter.

The main use for the genus is as hedge and topiary plants among gardeners in desert and chaparral climates. Shiny Xylosma is the species usually seen in garden hedges and in road landscaping, despite the fact it bears thorns.

Xylosma foliage is used as food by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera, such as the Rustic (Cupha erymanthis) which feeds on X. racemosa, and the Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha) which feeds on X. longifolium and X. racemosa.

Selected species

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Xylosma

References

This Salicaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.