delavayi – refers to Abbe Delavay, a missionary who collected the species in Sichuan and Yunnan and introduced it to France in 1890
- all European plants descended from this seed until new seed was introduced after World War I
Native range: S. Central China
Leaves:
- opposite
- ovate to elliptic-ovate
- <1” long
- acute tip
- sharply serrate
- gland dotted below
Flowers:
- inflorescence – 4-8 flowered raceme
- radial
- 4-merous
- 2 stamens
- short-stalked
- fragrant
- white petals
- trumpet-shaped
- petal tops bend backward sharply (“reflexed”)
Fruit:
- ovoid-shaped drupe
- bluish-black
Other characteristics:
- evergreen shrub to 6 ft.
Relevant info:
- good species for hedges
- in China, members of Osmanthus flower in fall during harvest when the full moon is especially big
- important during the mid-Autumn festival when Chinese celebrate the full moon with traditional Taoist legends about moon goddess Chang’e and her jade rabbit, Yutu, while enjoying osmanthus cake, tea and wine
- young men had to study for their imperial exams each fall in hopes of “plucking the osmanthus from the Moon Palace,” as in a legend
Ecology & Adaptations:
- native to south central China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan)
- found in montane regions (2100-3400 m) in ravines, thickets, mixed woods
- shade tolerant:
- under canopy, stems branch at longer intervals, resulting in more horizontal and vertical growth to capture light, and leaves are spread uniformly throughout branching structure to avoid self- shading and maximize light capture
- evergreen leaves permit light absorption during much of the year
- drought tolerant when mature:
- waxy coating helps prevent loss of moisture from leaves
- torus-bearing (impermeable layer consisting of thick cell wall), pitted tracheary elements extend throughout the vasculature and help maintain pressure within the vessel during drought stress or adjacent tissue damage
- pollination – sweetly fragrant flowers attract pollinators such as bees, which drink nectar and carry pollen back to hives as food for developing bees
- fruit attracts animals that disperse seeds
- compounds in leaves defend against herbivory and microbial infection