Buddleja vexans
| Buddleja vexans | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Scrophulariaceae |
| Genus: | Buddleja |
| Species: | B. vexans
|
| Binomial name | |
| Buddleja vexans | |
Buddleja vexans is a recently (2000) recognized species endemic to central Peru, growing along streams, roads and cliffs at altitudes of 3,300 – 3,900 m. Norman adjudged the plant to be a probable hybrid between B. coriacea and B. incana.[1]
Description
[edit]Buddleja vexans is a sterile shrub 3 – 5 m high with a trunk < 30 cm in diameter, the bark brown and fissured. The younger branches are terete and tomentose, bearing coriaceous elliptic leaves 4.5 – 8 cm long by 1 – 3 cm wide, glabrous and rugose above, densely tomentose below. The fragrant golden-orange paniculate leafy-bracted inflorescences are 5 – 12 cm long by 5 – 9 cm wide, comprising 1 – 2 orders of branches bearing heads 1.5 – 2 cm in diameter, each with 16 – 20 flowers, the corollas 4 – 5 mm long.[1]
A popular garden plant in Peru, Norman considers B. vexans to have the greatest horticultural merit of all the American buddlejas.[1]
Cultivation
[edit]The shrub is not known to be in cultivation beyond Peru.