Euonymus europaeus

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Euonymus europaeus
Euonymus europaeus2.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Celastrales
Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Euonymus
Species:
E. europaeus
Binomial name
Euonymus europaeus
L.
Euonymus europaeus range.svg
Distribution map
Synonyms [1]
List
  • Euonymus multiflorusOpiz ex Bercht. [1838]
  • Euonymus floribundusSteven [1856]
  • Euonymus europaeus var. macrophyllusRchb.
  • Euonymus europaeus var. intermediusGaudin
  • Euonymus bulgaricusVelen. [1891]
  • Euonymus vulgarisMill. [1768]
  • Euonymus angustifoliusClairv [1811]

Euonymus europaeus, the spindle, European spindle, or common spindle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to much of Europe, where it inhabits the edges of forest, hedges and gentle slopes, tending to thrive on nutrient-rich, chalky and salt-poor soils. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree.

Contents

Description

Euonymus europaeus grows to 3–6 m (10–20 ft) tall, rarely 10 m (33 ft), with a stem up to 20 cm (8 in) in diameter. The leaves are opposite, lanceolate to elliptical, 3–8 cm long and 1–3 cm broad, with a finely serrated edge. Leaves are dark green in summer. Autumn colour ranges from yellow-green to reddish-purple, depending on environmental conditions. [2]

The hermaphrodite flowers are produced in late spring and are insect-pollinated; they are rather inconspicuous, small, yellowish green and grow in cymes of 3–8 together. The capsular fruit ripens in autumn, and is red to purple or pink in colour and approximately 1–1.5 cm wide. When ripe, the four lobes split open to reveal the orange seeds.

Habitat and ecology

E. europaeus occurs as an understory shrub or small tree primarily in old hedgerows, open woodland clearings and margins, and scrubland on base-rich or calcareous soils, although it is also shade-tolerant. It rarely invades open habitats such as grasslands except in the presence of abundant hedges [3] In Ireland, it can also be found growing on rocky limestone outcrops, rocky lake shores and limestone pavements. [4]

It is typical in Fraxinus excelsiorAcer campestreMercurialis perennis woodland (W8), and it is a frequent companion of Cornus sanguinea in open-stand scrub over limestone, generally in low frequency and abundance throughout. [5] It is usually scattered in distribution but may occasionally occur remarkably commonly on a local scale, such as in the so-called "Spindle Valley" in the Chilterns. [6] The scattered distribution is likely limited by dispersal of seeds via birds and rodents. [7]

E. europaeus is the almost exclusive winter host of the black bean aphid. [8] Because of the potential economic loss from this insect that feeds on cultivated broad beans and sugar beet, spindle in the past was commonly removed from hedges and woodlands as a measure against black bean aphid outbreaks and agricultural yield losses, although this widespread removal does not appear to have impacted current populations. In 1944, The Biology War Committee also began a campaign to investigate the distribution and ecology of E. europeaus as a basis for aphid control measures. [3]

Cultivation and uses

It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and parks due to its bright pink or purple fruits and attractive autumn colouring.

In cultivation in the UK, the cultivar 'Red Cascade' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [9] [10]

European spindle wood is very hard, and can be cut to a sharp point; it was used in the past for making spindles for wool-spinning and for butchers' skewers. [11]

Charcoal produced from this plant is seen as superior among artists due to its strength and density.

Parts of the plant have been used medicinally. [12] However, the fruit is poisonous, containing, amongst other substances, the alkaloids theobromine and caffeine, as well as a large number of much more toxic substances, including cardiac glycosides, and an extremely bitter terpene. Poisonings are more common in young children, who are enticed by the brightly coloured fruits. Ingestion can result in liver and kidney damage and even death. [13]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Euonymus japonicus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Euonymus alatus</i> Species of plant

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<i>Helleborus foetidus</i> Species of plant

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<i>Sambucus nigra</i> Species of flowering plant in the moschatel family Adoxaceae

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<i>Euonymus fortunei</i> Species of flowering plant

Euonymus fortunei, the spindle, Fortune's spindle, winter creeper or wintercreeper, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to east Asia, including China, Korea, the Philippines and Japan. E. fortunei is highly invasive and damaging in the United States, causing the death of trees and forest in urban areas.

<i>Rhamnus cathartica</i> Species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae

Rhamnus cathartica, the European buckthorn, common buckthorn, purging buckthorn, or just buckthorn, is a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Rhamnaceae. It is native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia, from the central British Isles south to Morocco, and east to Kyrgyzstan. It was introduced to North America as an ornamental shrub in the early 19th century or perhaps before, and is now naturalized in the northern half of the continent, and is classified as an invasive plant in several US states and in Ontario, Canada.

<i>Euonymus americanus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Euryops pectinatus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black bean aphid</span> Species of true bug

The black bean aphid is a small black insect in the genus Aphis, with a broad, soft body, a member of the order Hemiptera. Other common names include blackfly, bean aphid, and beet leaf aphid. In the warmer months of the year, it is found in large numbers on the undersides of leaves and on the growing tips of host plants, including various agricultural crops and many wild and ornamental plants. Both winged and wingless forms exist, and at this time of year, they are all females. They suck sap from stems and leaves and cause distortion of the shoots, stunted plants, reduced yield, and spoiled crops. This aphid also acts as a vector for viruses that cause plant disease, and the honeydew it secretes may encourage the growth of sooty mould. It breeds profusely by live birth, but its numbers are kept in check, especially in the later part of the summer, by various predatory and parasitic insects. Ants feed on the honeydew it produces, and take active steps to remove predators. It is a widely distributed pest of agricultural crops and can be controlled by chemical or biological means. In the autumn, winged forms move to different host plants, where both males and females are produced. These mate and the females lay eggs which overwinter.

<i>Acer palmatum</i> Species of maple

Acer palmatum, commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Japanese: irohamomiji, イロハモミジ, or momiji,, is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their large variety of attractive forms, leaf shapes, and spectacular colors.

<i>Rubus tricolor</i> Species of evergreen prostrate shrub native to southwestern China

Rubus tricolor is an evergreen prostrate shrub, native to southwestern China. Leaves are dark green above, pale green below, and stems have red bristles. It has white flowers in summer and edible red fruit. It grows approximately 0.3 m (0.98 ft) high and usually forming a vigorously spreading, dense mat. In cultivation, it is mainly used as groundcover. Common names include Chinese bramble, groundcover bramble, creeping bramble, Korean raspberry, Himalayan bramble, and groundcover raspberry. In Chinese, it is called 三色莓.

<i>Euonymus phellomanus</i> Species of flowering plant

Euonymus phellomanus is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to China. It is one of several species within Euonymus called spindle or spindle tree. A substantial deciduous shrub growing to 2–4 m (6.6–13.1 ft) tall by 2.5 m (8.2 ft) broad, it produces insignificant yellow-green flowers in May followed by brilliant pink fruits in autumn. The fruits sometimes break open to reveal bright orange seeds. A notable feature is the rough corky bark which with age develops “wings” clothing the length of each branch. A similar effect is seen in the related Euonymus alata. This feature gives rise to a name occasionally used, the corktree.

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Crataegus persimilis is a species of hawthorn, known by the common names plumleaf hawthorn and broad-leaved cockspur thorn, native to southern Ontario, Canada, and the US states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia. It is widely cultivated, particularly in Europe, as an ornamental. Its sporadic distribution in its natural range and certain of its morphological characters leads authorities to consider it a probable naturally occurring hybrid, with its most likely parents being Crataegus succulenta and Crataegus crus-galli. It is a tetraploid. Some populations may be self-perpetuating. Its 'Prunifolia' cultivar has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, and is considered one of its top 5 trees for smaller gardens.

<i>Euonymus sachalinensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Euonymus sachalinensis, the flat-stalked spindle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to Japan, China, Korea, and the Island of Sakhalin. Growing to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) tall and broad, it is a deciduous shrub notable for its leaves turning red in autumn, and its red fruit which splits open to reveal orange seeds. Exceptional specimens, such as the one in the Hørsholm Arboretum, Copenhagen University, can become trees up to 4 m (13 ft) in height.

<i>Euonymus oxyphyllus</i> Species of plant in the genus Euonymus

Euonymus oxyphyllus, the Korean spindle tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to central and eastern China, Manchuria, Korea, Japan and the Kurils. It is a shrub or small tree typically reaching 2.5 m (8 ft). The Royal Horticultural Society considers it to be a good tree for smaller gardens, especially for its colorful Autumn foliage and fruits.

References

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  2. Dirr, Michael A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, 5th ed
  3. 1 2 Thomas, Peter A.; El-Barghathi, M.; Polwart, A. (2011). "Biological Flora of the British Isles: Euonymus europaeus L." Journal of Ecology. 99: 345–365. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01760.x . S2CID   86183760.
  4. Green P. 2008. Flora of County Waterford. National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
  5. Rodwell JS. 1991. British Plant Communities. Vol. 1. Woodlands and Scrub. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
  6. Snow B, Snow D. 1988. Birds and Berries. Poyser, Calton, UK.
  7. Grubb, Peter J.; Lee, William G.; Kollmann, Johannes; Wilson, J. Bastow (1996). "Interaction of Irradiance and Soil Nutrient Supply on Growth of Seedlings of Ten European Tall-Shrub Species and Fagus Sylvatica". Journal of Ecology. 84 (6): 827–840. doi:10.2307/2960555. JSTOR   2960555.
  8. Way, M. J.; Cammell, M. E. (1982). "The Distribution and Abundance of the Spindle Tree, Euonymus europaeus, in Southern England with Particular Reference to Forecasting Infestations of the Black Bean Aphid, Aphis fabae". Journal of Applied Ecology. 19 (3): 929–940. doi:10.2307/2403294. JSTOR   2403294.
  9. "Euonymus europaeus 'Red Cascade' AGM". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  10. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 37. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  11. Clapham, A. R. (1975). The Oxford Book of Trees. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p.31.
  12. Plants for a Future: Euonymus europaeus
  13. "Beware the poisonous autumn berries!". Fat Hen The Wild Cookery School. October 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2020.