The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

smoke bush

oak-leaf butterfly bush, parlor-oak

Habit Shrubs, climbing, sarmentose, 20–50 dm. Shrubs, 5–20 dm.
Stems

branched, tomentose.

branched, brown-tomentose when young, glabrescent.

Leaves

often with globular stipular lines;

petiole 5–15 mm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 8–15 × 2–5 cm, base rounded, margins entire, apex acuminate, abaxial surface tomentose, adaxial glabrous or glabrate.

stipules absent;

petiole 3–10 mm;

blade orbiculate to elliptic, 3–6 × 2–5 cm, base cuneate, margins crenate to undulate, apex rounded, surfaces glabrous except veins abaxially.

Inflorescences

terminal, tapering-spicate thyrses, 5–25 × 3–5 cm, cymes 10–25 pairs, 5–15-flowered.

axillary, rarely terminal, paniculate, 2–3.5 × 1–2 cm, cymes 1–3, 5–7-flowered.

Pedicels

essentially absent;

bracteoles present.

essentially absent;

bracteoles present.

Flowers

slightly fragrant;

calyx tomentose externally, tube 2–3 mm, lobes 0.5–1 mm;

corolla yellowish orange, salverform, tube 7–9 mm, lobes suborbiculate, 2.5–3.5 × 2–3 mm;

stamens inserted proximal to throat of corolla tube, included in tube;

ovary subglobular, 1–1.5 mm, tomentose at tip;

stigma clavate, 1–1.5 mm.

not fragrant;

calyx tomentose externally, tube 1.5–2.5 mm, lobes 1–2 mm;

corolla greenish yellow, salverform, tube 7–8 mm, lobes broadly ovate, 2–2.5 × 1.2–1.5 mm;

stamens inserted near orifice of corolla tube, included in tube;

ovary ovoid or ellipsoid, 1–1.5 mm, tomentose;

stigma capitate, 0.5 mm.

Fruits

berries, bluish purple, globular, 2.5–5 × 2.5–5 mm, papillose, indehiscent.

berries, white, ovoid, 12–15 × 5–7 mm, glandular-pubescent, indehiscent.

Seeds

ovoid, 0.6–0.9 × 0.5–0.6 mm, wings absent.

ovoid, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, wings absent.

2n

= 38.

= 76.

Buddleja madagascariensis

Buddleja indica

Phenology Flowering Mar–May; fruiting not known in continental United States. Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat Roadsides. Scrub, roadsides.
Elevation 10–20 m. (0–100 ft.) 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; Indian Ocean Islands (Madagascar) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies (Cuba, Puerto Rico), South America (Argentina, Uruguay), Europe (Greece), Africa (Republic of South Africa), Indian Ocean Islands (Mauritius, Réunion), Pacific Islands (Fiji, Hawaii, New Caledonia, New Zealand), Australia]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; Indian Ocean Islands (Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands) [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Buddleja madagascariensis is considered a serious invader in Hawaii at 900–1200 m, where it sets abundant fruits (Hawaii Invasive Species Council, https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/species/smoke-bush/); this contrasts with the report by A. J. M. Leeuwenberg (1979) that he had observed specimens with fruits only from Crete, Madagascar, and Mauritius.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Buddleja indica was first collected in Florida in 1998; it is now found in Broward, Martin, and Palm Beach counties. It is often cultivated, especially in greenhouses in temperate regions.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 329. FNA vol. 17, p. 329.
Parent taxa Scrophulariaceae > Buddleja Scrophulariaceae > Buddleja
Sibling taxa
B. davidii, B. indica, B. lindleyana, B. marrubiifolia, B. racemosa, B. saligna, B. scordioides, B. sessiliflora, B. utahensis
B. davidii, B. lindleyana, B. madagascariensis, B. marrubiifolia, B. racemosa, B. saligna, B. scordioides, B. sessiliflora, B. utahensis
Synonyms Nicodemia madagascariensis
Name authority Lamarck: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 1: 513. (1785) — (as Budleia) Lamarck: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 1: 513. (1785) — (as Budleia)
Web links