Wisteria
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Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and north of Iran. They were later introduced to France, Germany and various other countries in Europe. Some species are popular ornamental plants. The genus name is also used as the English name, and may then be spelt 'wistaria'.<ref name=Brys03/><ref name=Dixo09/>
In some countries in Western and Central Europe, Wisteria is also known by a variant spelling of the genus in which species were formerly placed, Glycine. Examples include the French glycines, the German Glyzinie, and the Polish glicynia.Template:Citation needed
Description
Wisterias climb by twining their stems around any available support. W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria) twines clockwise when viewed from above, while W. sinensis (Chinese wisteria) twines counterclockwise. This is an aid in identifying the two most common species of wisteria.<ref name=Vald95/> They can climb as high as Template:Convert above the ground and spread out Template:Convert laterally. The world's largest known wisteria is the Sierra Madre Wisteria in Sierra Madre, California, measuring more than Template:Convert in size and weighing 250 tons. Planted in 1894, it is of the 'Chinese lavender' variety.<ref name=SMnews/>
The leaves are alternate, 15 to 35 cm long, pinnate, with 9 to 19 leaflets.
The flowers have drooping racemes that vary in length from species to species. W. frutescens (American wisteria) has the shortest racemes, Template:Convert. W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria) has the longest racemes, Template:Convert in some varieties and Template:Convert or Template:Convert in some cultivars.<ref name=Gardenia/><ref name=howto/><ref name=Jknow/> The flowers come in a variety of colors, including white, lilac, purple, and pink, and some W. brachybotrys (Silky wisteria) and W. floribunda cultivars have particularly remarkable colors.<ref name=Gardenia2/><ref name=howto/> The flowers are fragrant, and especially cultivars of W. brachybotrys, W. floribunda, and W. sinensis are noted for their sweet and musky scents.<ref name=Gardenia3/><ref name=howto/> Flowering is in spring (just before or as the leaves open) in some Asian species, and in mid to late summer in the American species.
Taxonomy
Template:See also The genus Wisteria was established by Thomas Nuttall in 1818.<ref name=IPNI_332065-2/> He based the genus on Wisteria frutescens, previously included in the genus Glycine. Nuttall stated that he named the genus in memory of the American physician and anatomist Caspar Wistar (1761–1818).<ref name=Nutt18/> Both men were living in Philadelphia at the time, where Wistar was a professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.<ref name=Davi55/> Questioned about the spelling later, Nuttall said it was for "euphony", but his biographer speculated that it may have something to do with Nuttall's friend Charles Jones Wister Sr., of Grumblethorpe, the grandson of the merchant John Wister.<ref name=Grau67/> Various sources assert that the naming occurred in Philadelphia.<ref name=Cott94/><ref name=Jell04/> It has been suggested that the Portuguese botanist and geologist José Francisco Corrêa da Serra, who lived in Philadelphia beginning in 1812, four years before his appointment as ambassador of Portugal to the United States, and a friend of Wistar, proposed the name "Wistaria" in his obituary of Wistar.<ref name=Lloy90/>
As the spelling is apparently deliberate, there is no justification for changing the genus name under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.<ref name=Char/>
Classification
The genus was previously placed in the tribe Millettieae. Molecular phylogenetic studies from 2000 onwards showed that Wisteria, along with other genera such as Callerya and Afgekia, were related and quite distinct from other members of the Millettieae.<ref name=Hu00/><ref name=Li14/> A more detailed study in 2019 reached the same conclusion, and moved Wisteria to the expanded tribe Wisterieae.<ref name=CompSchrKonyFore19/>
Species
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Template:As of, Plants of the World Online accepted four species:<ref name=POWO_332065-2/>
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Wisteria brachybotrys 03.jpg | Wisteria brachybotrys Siebold & Zucc. (syn. Wisteria venusta Rehder & Wils.<ref name=Tropicos_13062488/><ref name=eFloras/>) | Silky wisteria | Japan |
| File:20130514Wisteria floribunda7.jpg | Wisteria floribunda (Willd.) DC. | Japanese wisteria | Japan |
| File:Wisteria frutescens flower closeup.jpg | Wisteria frutescens (L.) Poir. (syn. Wisteria macrostachys) | American wisteria | United States (Kentucky to Texas, to Florida, as well as Iowa, Michigan, and New York) |
| File:Wisteria sinensis 5Dsr 0101.jpg | Wisteria sinensis (Sims) DC. | Chinese wisteria | China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, and Yunnan.) |
Fossil species
Additionally, the following fossil species have been described:Template:Citation needed
- †Wisteria fallax (Nath.) Tanai, Onoe
- †Wisteria kamtschatica Cheleb.
- †Wisteria ligniata Miki.
- †Wisteria shanwangensis Wang, Dilcher,. Zhu, Zhou et Lott
- †Wisteria sichote-alinensis Akhmet.
- †Wisteria taoiana Wang, Dilcher,. Zhu, Zhou et Lott
Ecology
Wisteria species are used as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including different kinds of moths.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Toxicity
The seeds are produced in pods similar to those of Laburnum, and, like the seeds of that genus, are poisonous. All parts of the plant contain a saponin called wisterin, which is toxic if ingested, and may cause dizziness, confusion, speech problems, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhea and collapse.<ref name=Lewi98/><ref name=Rond93/> There is debate over whether the concentration outside of the seeds is sufficient to cause poisoning. Wisteria seeds have caused poisoning in children and pets of many countries, producing mild to severe gastroenteritis and other effects.<ref name=Mcdo/><ref name=Rond93/><ref name=CPPIS/>
Cultivation
Template:Multiple image In North America, W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria) and W. sinensis (Chinese wisteria) are far more popular than other species for their abundance of flowers, clusters of large flowers, variety of flower colors, and fragrance.<ref name=howto/> W. sinensis was brought to the United States for horticultural purposes in 1816, while W. floribunda was introduced around 1830.<ref name=USFS/> Because of their hardiness and tendency to escape cultivation, these non-native wisterias are considered invasive species in many parts of the U.S., especially the Southeast, due to their ability to overtake and choke out other native plant species.<ref name=USFS/>
W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria), which has the longest racemes of wisteria species, is decorative and has given rise to many cultivars that have won the prestigious Award of Garden Merit.<ref name=howto/><ref name=Gardenia4/>
Wisteria, especially W. sinensis (Chinese wisteria), is very hardy and fast-growing. It can grow in fairly poor-quality soils, but prefers fertile, moist, well-drained soil. It thrives in full sun and can be propagated via hardwood cutting, softwood cuttings, or seed. However, specimens grown from seed can take decades to bloom; for this reason, gardeners usually grow plants that have been started from rooted cuttings or grafted cultivars known to flower well.Template:Citation needed
Another reason for failure to bloom can be excessive fertilizer (particularly nitrogen). Wisteria has nitrogen fixing capability (provided by Rhizobia bacteria in root nodules), and thus mature plants may benefit from added potassium and phosphate, but not nitrogen. Finally, wisteria can be reluctant to bloom before it has reached maturity. Maturation may require only a few years, as in W. macrostachya (Kentucky wisteria), or nearly twenty, as in W. sinensis. Maturation can be forced by physically abusing the main trunk, root pruning, or drought stress.
Wisteria can grow into a mound when unsupported, but is at its best when allowed to clamber up a tree, pergola, wall, or other supporting structure. W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria) with longer racemes is the best choice to grow along a pergola. W. sinensis (Chinese wisteria) with shorter racemes is the best choice for growing along a wall.<ref name=howto/> Whatever the case, the support must be very sturdy, because mature wisteria can become immensely strong with heavy wrist-thick trunks and stems. These can collapse latticework, crush thin wooden posts, and even strangle large trees. Wisteria allowed to grow on houses can cause damage to gutters, downspouts, and similar structures. Wisteria flowers develop in buds near the base of the previous year's growth, so pruning back side shoots to the basal few buds in early spring can enhance the visibility of the flowers. If it is desired to control the size of the plant, the side shoots can be shortened to between 20 and 40 cm long in midsummer, and back to Template:Convert in the fall. Once the plant is a few years old, a relatively compact, free-flowering form can be achieved by pruning off the new tendrils three times during the growing season in the summer months. The flowers of some varieties are edible, and can even be used to make wine. Others are said to be toxic.Template:Citation needed Careful identification by an expert is strongly recommended before consuming this or any wild plant.
In the United Kingdom, a national collection of wisteria is held by Chris Lane at the Witch Hazel Nursery in Newington, near Sittingbourne in Kent<ref name=PHW/> and at the National Collection for Plant Heritage at Wisley in Surrey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear
Art and symbolism
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Wisteria and their racemes have been widely used in Japan throughout the centuries and were a popular symbol in Template:Nihongo3 and heraldry.<ref name=Bair01/> Wisteria is one of the five most commonly used motifs in the Template:Transliteration, and there are more than 150 types of wisteria Template:Transliteration. Because of its longevity and fertility, wisteria was considered an auspicious plant and was favored as a Template:Transliteration, and was adopted and popularized by the Fujiwara clan as their Template:Transliteration.<ref name="nippone">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fujiwara (藤原) literally means "wisteria field". Many other Japanese surnames contain the kanji for wisteria, such as Satō (佐藤), Itoh (伊藤), Saitō (斉藤) and Fujii (藤井). Template:Multiple image
A popular dance in kabuki known as the Fuji Musume (or 'The Wisteria Maiden'), is the sole extant dance of a series of five personifying dances in which a maiden becomes the embodiment of the spirit of wisteria. In the West, both in building materials such as tile, as well as stained glass, wisterias have been used both in realism and stylistically in artistic works and industrial design.<ref name=TNE85/> Template:Clear
References
External links
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