Osmanthus range in size from
shrubs to medium-sized
trees, 2–12 m (7–39 ft) tall. The
leaves are opposite,
evergreen, and simple, with an entire, serrated or coarsely toothed margin. The
flowers are produced in spring, summer or autumn, each flower being about 1 cm long, white, with a four-lobed tubular-based corolla ('petals'). The flowers grow in small
panicles, and in several species have a strong fragrance. The
fruit is a small (10–15 mm), hard-skinned dark blue to purple
drupe containing a single
seed.[4]
Etymology
The generic name Osmanthus is composed of two parts: the Greek words osma meaning smell or fragrance, and anthos meaning flower.[5][6][7]
Osmanthus × fortunei Carrière (O. fragrans × O. heterophyllus)
Cultivation
Osmanthus are popular shrubs in
parks and
gardens throughout the warm temperate zone. Several
hybrids and
cultivars have been developed. Osmanthus flower on old wood and produce more flowers if unpruned. A pruned shrub often produces few or no flowers for one to five or more years, before the new growth matures sufficiently to start flowering.
In
Japan, Osmanthus fragrans Lour. var. aurantiacus Makino (fragrant orange-colored olive) (kin-mokusei) is a favorite garden shrub. Its small deep golden flowers appear in short-stalked clusters in late autumn. It has an intense sweet fragrance. A variant with white flowers (gin-mokusei) is also popular.
The flowers of O. fragrans are used throughout
East Asia for their scent and flavour, which is likened to
apricot and
peach.
In
China,
osmanthus tea (桂花茶, guìhuāchá) combines
sweet osmanthus flowers with
black or
green tea leaves. In Liuzhou, it is used to flavor a locally brewed beer.
Sweet osmanthus and osmanthus tea are particularly associated with the city of
Guilin (桂林, literally "Forest of Sweet Osmanthus").
^José Ignacio De Juana Clavero, Cambios nomenclaturales en la sección Leiolea (Spach) P. S. Green, del género Osmanthus Lour. (Oleaceae), Bouteloua 22: 28-39 (XI-2015)