Wisteria

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Wisteria is a genus of about ten species of woody climbing vines native to eastern North America (United States) and east Asia (China, Korea, Japan). The vines climb by twining their entire stems either clockwise (As in Wisteria floribunda) or counter-clockwise (Wisteria sinensis) round any available support. They can climb as high as 20m above ground and spread at least half that far laterally.

Related Topics:
Genus - North America - United States - Asia - China - Korea - Japan - Clockwise - ''Wisteria floribunda'' - Counter-clockwise - ''Wisteria sinensis''

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The leaves are alternate, 15-35 cm long, pinnate, with 9-19 leaflets. The flowers are produced in pendulous racemes 10-80 cm long, similar to those of genus Laburnum, but purple, violet, pink or white, not yellow. Flowering is in the spring (just before or as the leaves open) in some Asian species, and in mid to late summer in the American species and W. japonica. The flowers of some species are fragrant, most notably Wisteria sinensis. The seeds are produced in pods similar to those of laburnum, and, like that genus, are poisonous.

Related Topics:
Leaves - Flower - Raceme - Laburnum - ''Wisteria sinensis'' - Seed - Poison

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The genus was named after Dr. Caspar Wistar (1761-1818), a professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. As a consequence, the name is sometimes given as "Wistaria", but the spelling Wisteria is conserved under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.

Related Topics:
Caspar Wistar - 1761 - 1818 - University of Pennsylvania - International Code of Botanical Nomenclature

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