Cephalanthus

Scientific name

Cephalanthus L.

Common names

buttonbush

Family

Rubiaceae

Native distribution

three species in the Americas, two in Asia, one in Africa

Species cultivated

(three species plus cultivated hybrids and varieties)

Cephalanthus natalensis Oliv.

C. occidentalis L.

C. salicifolius Humb. & Bonpl.

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

amphibious amphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
to semi-aquatic shrubs or small trees

Brief description

Small to large bush, deciduousdeciduous:
(adj) shedding of parts at the end of their growing period, as with leaves; those trees or shrubs that drop their leaves at the end of the season
. Stems erect, sympodially branched. Leaves oppositeopposite:
(adj) (of leaves) two leaves per node; in pairs on opposite sides of an axis
or in whorls of 3 to 5; petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
; stipules interpetiolar, frequently with glands along the margins; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
elliptic to ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, or oblanceolateoblanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped, with attachment at or near the narrow end. (compare lanceolate)
; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuminateacuminate:
(adj) tapering gradually to a point and forming more or less concave sides
, often cuspidatecuspidate:
(adj) with a short, sharp, abrupt tip (cusp)
; base variable; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
; glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
to densely pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
terminal and axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
, globoseglobose:
(adj) spherical or nearly so
heads; pedunculatepedunculate:
(adj) borne on or possessing a peduncle
; flowers sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
, bisexualbisexual:
(adj) having both male and female sexual reproductive structures on one individual or in one flower
, white to yellowish, fragrant. Calyxcalyx:
(n) the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
tube 4-5-lobed, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
to pilose; corollacorolla:
(n) the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
tube funnel-like, 4-lobed, lobes oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
to triangular, or ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
; stamens 4, epipetalousepipetalous:
(adj) (of stamens) arising from the petals
, filaments short, anthers bifid at base.

Natural habitat

wet soil along streams, rivers, and small lakes, in and along ponds and springs, in swamps, marshes, bogs, seeps, seasonal wetlands, floodplain and riverine forests