Spiraea virginiana
Spiraea japonica
Virginia meadowsweet, Virginia or West Virginia spiraea, Virginia spiraea
fortune meadowsweet, fortune spirea, Japanese meadowsweet, Japanese spiraea
erect to arching or prostrate, densely branched.
erect, branched.
petiole 2–5 mm;
blade ovate to oblanceolate, 3–5 × 1–1.5 cm (length 3 times width), membranous, base acute, margins entire or dentate teeth 1–4 in distal 1/4 of blade, mucronate, number of primary and secondary serrations 1 times number of secondary veins (excluding inter-secondary veins), venation pinnate cladodromous, secondary veins not prominent, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glaucous, mostly glabrous, adaxial glabrous.
petiole 2–7 mm;
blade ovate to lanceolate, 5–10 × 2–4 cm, membranous, base cuneate, margins sharply doubly serrate, number of primary and secondary serrations 3–5 times number of secondary veins (excluding inter-secondary veins), venation pinnate simple craspedodromous, secondary veins not prominent, apex acute, abaxial surface pubescent, adaxial glabrous.
mostly terminal, corymbiform or hemispheric panicles, 2–8 × 5–22 cm height 0.5–1 times diam.;
branches frequently in axils of leaves, usually glabrous or pubescent, sometimes villous.
mostly terminal, corymbiform, 5–8 × 5–15 cm;
branches finely villous.
1–3 mm, usually glabrous or pubescent, sometimes villous.
4–6 mm, finely villous.
5–7 mm diam.;
hypanthia turbinate to campanulate, 1.2–1.8 mm, surfaces glabrous or pubescent;
sepals triangular, 1–1.2 mm;
petals yellowish white, greenish white, or translucent white, ovate to orbiculate, 1.8–2 mm;
staminodes 0;
stamens 25–45, 2 times petal length.
4–8 mm diam.;
hypanthia campanulate, 1–1.2 mm, abaxial surface strigose, adaxial pubescent;
sepals triangular, 1–1.3 mm;
petals light to dark pink, obovate, 1–1.5 mm;
staminodes 0;
stamens 25–30, 2 times petal length.
oblanceoloid, 1.5–2 mm, shiny, glabrous.
oblanceoloid, 2–3 mm, glabrous, adaxial suture glabrous or ciliate.
= 36.
Spiraea virginiana
Spiraea japonica
Of conservation concern.
Spiraea virginiana is endemic to the southern Blue Ridge and Appalachian Plateau physiographic provinces. In stream and river reaches, where there is little variation in flow volume and velocity, available habitat for S. virginiana would decline over time without scour and redeposition of sediments. The species reproduces primarily through asexual propagation: the stems break during high flows, are transported and deposited in sediments, and take root, establishing plants (D. W. Ogle 1991b; C. M. Anders and Z. E. Murrell 2001). Ogle (1991, 1991b) conducted a comprehensive analysis of the species and found viable seed to be rare on individuals found within local populations, confined to a single stream corridor. When plants from different populations were brought together in cultivation, abundant viable seed was produced (Ogle 1991b).
All populations of Spiraea virginiana examined by J. R. Brzyski and T. M. Culley (2011) had higher levels of genetic differentiation among populations, and lower values of genotypic richness within populations, than would be expected for a clonal organism.
Spiraea virginiana is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Spiraea japonica is currently recognized as having eight varieties (Zhang Zhao Y. et al. 2002, 2006; Lu L. T. and C. Alexander 2003) and has been the source of many hybrids and cultivars that have been popular for gardens in temperate zones around the world.
Various varieties or cultivars of Spiraea japonica have become noxious weeds, primarily in wet sites and riparian areas. In Tennessee, S. japonica is ranked as a significant threat to native species by the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council (2009); it is noted as a threat to S. virginiana through competition in the riparian zone (D. W. Ogle 1992).
One cultivar that is noted as having established populations is Spiraea ×bumalda Burvenich, which has been considered to be a hybrid of S. albiflora Miquel and S. japonica (B. A. E. Koehne 1893; L. H. Bailey et al. 1949; A. J. Rehder 1927; A. Huxley et al. 1992).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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