Celastrus orbiculatus var. orbiculatus("Tsurumemodoki")
Japanese name: ツルウメモドキ Scientific name:Celastrus orbiculatus var. orbiculatus
[Overview]
A deciduous climbing woody plant found in deciduous forests, at forest edges and along roadsides.
The vine twines to the left.
The leaves are simple and alternate, elliptical to obovate-round, 3.5–10 cm long and 2–8 cm wide.
The leaf margins have fine serrations.
The leaf stalk is 1–2 cm long.
Cymes 1–1.5 cm long arise from the leaf axils or at the stem tips.
It is dioecious.
Both male and female flowers are pale green with 5 petals; the petals of the male flower are narrowly elliptical and 4 mm long, and those of the female flower are narrowly elliptical and 2.5 mm long.
Female plants bear fruit.
The fruit is a globose capsule 7–8 mm in diameter, which ripens yellow and splits open.
When the fruit splits, seeds enclosed in a reddish orange aril show from inside.
[Uses]
Branches bearing fruit are used as cut flowers.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by cuttings, by layering, or by root cuttings.
It prefers a sunny, well-ventilated place.
In poor sunlight, fruiting is poor.
It is not particular about soil.
It is hardy and easy to grow.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
