Abeliophyllum

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Oleaceae
Tribus: Forsythieae
Genus: Abeliophyllum
Species: Abeliophyllum distichum

Name

Abeliophyllum Nakai (1919)

Type species: A. distichum Nakai

References

Nakai, T. 1919: Bot. Mag. Tokyo 33: 153.

Vernacular names
English: White Forsythia

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Abeliophyllum (White Forsythia) is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the olive family, Oleaceae. It consists of one species, Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai (Korean Abelialeaf), endemic to Korea, where it is endangered in the wild, occurring at only seven sites. It is related to Forsythia, but differs in having white, not yellow, flowers.

It is a deciduous shrub growing to 1–2 m tall. The leaves are opposite, simple, 6–10 cm long and 3-4.5 cm wide, pubescent both above and below. The flowers are produced in early spring before the new leaves appear; they are white, about 1 cm long, with a four-lobed corolla. The fruit is a round, winged samara 2–3 cm diameter.

It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in Europe and North America.

Conservation status

In 1998, a review of the plant's conservation status found that "it is close to extinction and qualifies for the IUCN Category of 'Critically Endangered', indicating a high risk of extinction in the near future."[1]; but as of 2009 it has not yet been formally assessed for the IUCN Red List.
References

1. ^ Kim, Y. S. and Maunder, M. (1998). "Plants in Peril, 24: Abeliophyllum distichum". Curtis's Botanical Magazine 15 (2): 141–146. doi:10.1111/1467-8748.00155.

* University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens: Abeliophyllum distichum