Sarcococca hookeriana

Sarcococca hookeriana,[1][2][3] the Himalayan sweet box, is a species of flowering plant in the box family Buxaceae, native to China, Afghanistan, North East India, Bhutan and Nepal.[4] It is a low-growing evergreen shrub or groundcover, usually between 12 and 24 inches high. It produces aromatic white flowers throughout winter, followed by black berries.

Sarcococca hookeriana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Buxales
Family: Buxaceae
Genus: Sarcococca
Species:
S. hookeriana
Binomial name
Sarcococca hookeriana

The Latin specific epithet hookeriana refers to the British botanist and explorer Sir Joseph D. Hooker.[5][6]

Sarcococca hookeriana has several varieties of very different appearance to which different nomenclature has been applied in the references. Recent convention for example is to use Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis for the previous Sarcococca humilis, although it has broader, shiny leaves and a different habit than other forms.

The variety Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna is more slender with narrower leaves. The cultivar ‘Purple Stem’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[7][8] It is fully hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F), but requires a sheltered position in full or partial shade.[7]

References
  1. Hilliers Manual of Trees and Shrubs, Redwood Burn, 1998
  2. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1-4053-3296-5.
  3. Sarcococca National Collection http://www.sarcococca.org.uk/
  4. "Sarcococca hookeriana". Flora of China – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. Julia BrittainPlant Lover's Companion: Plants, People and Places, p. 96, at Google Books
  6. Sue Gordon (Editor) Horticulture - Plant Names Explained: Botanical Terms and Their Meaning, p. 84, at Google Books
  7. "RHS Plantfinder - Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna 'Purple Stem'". Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  8. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 95. Retrieved 30 October 2018.


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