Lonicera spp.

Lonicera spp.Leaves and flowers of Lonicera japonica.(Photo by Jil M. Swearingen, USDI-NPS.)feature separating L. japonica fromrelated species is the upper leaf surface,which is greener than the underside.Growing in the leaf axils, the pubescentflowers, appearing from April to June,have conspicuous leaf-like bracts andwhite corollas, and appearing fromApril to June. The peduncle and leafpetiole are similar in size. The shiny,dark blue fruits are round, 6-7 mm indiameter, and mature from October toNovember [176] .HabitatLonicera japonica occurs amongshrubs, along slopes, roadsides, insparse forests, hedges, and on gravelbanks at elevations up to 1500 m [176] .DistributionL. japonica is distributed nationwide inChina: however, it is not native to Hainan,Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia,Qinghai, Xinjiang, or Tibet [176] .Economic ImportanceExtracts of chlorogenic acid andisochlorogenic acid are used medicinallyin China [176] .Related SpeciesLonicera japonica var. chinensis (Wats.)Bak. occurs in Anhui at elevations of upto 800 m. It is also cultivated in Jiangsu,Jiangxi, Yunnan, and Zhejiang [176] .III. Lonicera maackiiAmur honeysuckleTaxonomyFamily: CaprifoliaceaeGenus: Lonicera L.DescriptionLonicera maackii (Rupr.) Maxim isa deciduous shrub that can reach aheight of 6 m and a stem diameterof 10 cm. The entire plant is coveredwith glandular hairs. Winter buds aresmall, ovoid, and covered with morethan five pairs of scales. Papery leavesare ovate-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 5-8cm long with acuminate to narrowlyacuminate apices and a rounded orwedge-shaped leaf bases. The petioleis 2-5 mm cm long and is longer thanthe 1-2 mm long peduncle. Whiteto yellow, fragrant, axillary flowerswith labiate corollas and a linear tolanceolate bracts appear from Mayto June. Fruits are globular, dark-red,5-6 mm in diameter, and mature fromAugust to October [176] .HabitatL. maackii occurs in riparian areas at theedge of forests at elevations of 1,800m (3,000 m in some areas of Yunnanand Tibet) [176] .Fruits of Lonicera maackii. (Photo by ChuckBargeron, UGA.)Invasive Plants of Asian Origin Established in the US and Their Natural Enemies — 99