Heterophyllus

Osmanthus heterophyllus (Holly Osmanthus Japanese: Hiiragi, literally holly, also known as Hihiragi, Holly Olive and False Holly) is a species of Osmanthus native to eastern Asia in central and southern Japan (Honshu-, Kyu-shu-, Shikoku, and the Ryukyu Islands) and Taiwan

It is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 2–8 m tall. The bark is brown to grey or blackish, cracking into small plates on old plants. The leaves are opposite, 3-7 cm long and 1.5–4 cm broad with a thick, leathery texture, lustrous dark green above, paler yellow-green below; the margin is entire or with one to four large spine-tipped teeth on each side. Spiny leaves predominate on small, young plants (an adaptation to deter browsing animals), while entire leaves predominate higher on larger mature plants out of the reach of animals. The flowers are very fragrant, white, with a four-lobed corolla, the corolla tube 1–2 mm long and the lobes 2.5-5 mm long; they are dioecious, with flowering in the autumn. The fruit is an ovoid dark purple drupe 1.5 cm long and 1 cm diameter, mature in the following summer about 9 months after flowering.

Cultivation and uses

It is widely used as a hedge plant. Several cultivars have been selected for garden use, including 'Aureus', 'Goshiki', 'Gulftide', 'Purpureus', 'Rotundifolius', 'Subangustatus', and 'Variegatus'. The species has been hybridised in cultivation with Osmanthus fragrans; the resulting hybrid is named Osmanthus × fortunei Carr

Indian Herbs

Heterophyllus

Cultivation and uses

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