''Calycanthus floridus'', or commonly known as the eastern sweetshrub, Carolina all spice, or spice bush, is a species of flowering shrub in the family

Calycanthaceae The Calycanthaceae (sweetshrubs or spicebushes) are a small family of flowering plants in the order Laurales. The family contains three genera and only 10 known species , restricted to warm temperate and tropical regions: * ''Calycanthus'' (thre ...

. It is identifiable by its dark red flowers and fragrant scent. It is non-invasive and is found in the Southeastern United States region. The Nature Conservancy considers its

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation ...

to be G5, indicating it is at low risk of extinction.

Description

''Calycanthus floridus'' is a shrub that grows to be around tall. Its leaves are a dark green with a pale underside. They are ovate or elliptical in shape and grow to be about 6 inches in length. The leaves are simple, entire, and arranged oppositely along the stem. The flowers are solitary, featuring a reddish brown to reddish purple color when they bloom in spring. They are aromatic and so are the leaves when bruised. The flowers have a

hypanthium In angiosperms, a hypanthium or floral cup is a structure where basal portions of the calyx, the corolla, and the stamens form a cup-shaped tube. It is sometimes called a floral tube, a term that is also used for corolla tube and calyx tube. It ...

that is more than long. The shape of the flowers can be cylindrical, ellipsoid, pyriform, or globose. The flowers have numerous

tepals A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

that can either be oblong-elliptic or obovate-lanceolate at maturity. The flowers are perfect, having both

stamens The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

and

carpels Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

on the flowers. The

are numerous, connective beyond the anthers. The

are numerous. They are free, with a single ovary in a

locule A locule (plural locules) or loculus (plural loculi) (meaning "little place" in Latin) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usu ...

. The fruits are

indehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

pseudocarps that are about in length and in diameter at maturity. They are formed within the receptacle and contain numerous

achenes An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not op ...

that are roughly long with a diameter. Calycanthus floridus kz02.jpg, Leaves Sweetshrub (1052834972).jpg, Flower

Taxonomy

''Calycanthus floridus'' was first scientifically described by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

in 1759. It was the only species in his new genus ''Calycanthus''. Linnaeus referred to an earlier illustration by

Mark Catesby Mark Catesby (24 March 1683 – 23 December 1749) was an English naturalist who studied the flora and fauna of the New World. Between 1729 and 1747 Catesby published his ''Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands'', the fi ...

, contained in a work published from 1731 onwards.

Distribution and habitat

''Calycanthus floridus'' is native to the eastern United States. It prefers sunny habitats but can tolerate moderate amounts of shade. It grows well in environments that feature moist substrate.

Uses

It is used in horticulture as the flowers are showy and fragrant. The bark of the plant is edible and is reportedly used as a substitute for

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...

. The petals of the flower are also reportedly used in tea-making. Strong caution is advised however, as an

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

in the plant may lead to heart convulsions. The viscous substance within the plant is reportedly used as a disinfectant. It is highly resistant to diseases and insects, although it is prone to infection by ''

Agrobacterium tumefaciens ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' (more commonly known as ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'') is the causal agent of crown gall disease (the formation of tumours) in over 140 species of eudicots. It is a rod-shaped, Gram-negative soil bacterium. Sympto ...

'', which leads to the formation of

crown gall ''Agrobacterium'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria established by H. J. Conn that uses horizontal gene transfer to cause tumors in plants. ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'' is the most commonly studied species in this genus. ''Agrobacterium'' i ...

s on the stems. This plant has been marked as a pollinator plant, supporting and attracting beetles.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q165416 Calycanthaceae Flora of the United States Plants described in 1759