Lagerstroemia

Lagerstroemia (pronounced /ˌleɪɡərˈstriːmiə/), commonly known as Crape myrtle, is a genus of around 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia and parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world.

It is a member of the Lythraceae, which is also known as the Loosestrife family. The genus is named after the Swedish merchant Magnus von Lagerström, who supplied Carolus Linnaeus with plants he collected.

While various species and cultivars are able to fill a wide variety of landscape needs, crape myrtles are chiefly famous for their colorful and long-lasting flowers. Most species of Lagerstroemia have sinewy, fluted stems and branches with a mottled appearance that arises from having bark that sheds throughout the year.

The leaves are opposite, simple, with entire margins, and vary from 5-20 cm (2-8 in). While all species are woody in nature, they can range in height from over 100 feet to under one foot; most, however are small to medium multiple-trunked trees and shrubs. The leaves of temperate species provide autumn color.

Flowers are born in summer and autumn in panicles of crinkled flowers with a crepe-like texture. Colors vary from deep purple to red to white, with almost every shade in between. Although no blue-flowered varieties exist, it is toward the blue end of the spectrum that the flowers trend, with no sight of orange or yellow except in stamens and pistils.

The fruit is a capsule, green and succulent at first, then ripening to dark brown or black dryness. It splits along six or seven lines, producing teeth much like those of the calyx, and releases numerous small winged seeds.

In their respective climates, both sub-tropical and tropical species are common in domestic and commercial landscapes. The timber of some species has been used to manufacture bridges, furniture and railway sleepers.

Lagerstroemia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaricus. The leaves of Lagerstoemia parviflora are fed on by the Antheraea paphia moth which produces the tassar silk (Tussah), a form of wild silk of commercial importance in India.




Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagerstroemia


See Also: florist, florists, flower, flowers