''Pachysandra'' is a genus of five species of evergreen

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s or subshrubs, belonging to the boxwood family

Buxaceae The Buxaceae are a small family of six genera and about 123 known species of flowering plants. They are shrubs and small trees, with a cosmopolitan distribution. A seventh genus, sometimes accepted in the past (''Notobuxus''), has been shown by ...

. The species are

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to eastern Asia and southeast North America, some reaching a height of , with only weakly woody stems. The leaves are alternate, leathery, with a coarsely toothed margin, and are typically long. The small uni-sexual blooms are greenish-white and produced in late spring or early summer. Variegated Jade among Pachysandra

Etymology

''Pachysandra'' is derived from the Ancient Greek word παχύς (''pachýs'', 'thick') and the

New Latin New Latin (also called Neo-Latin or Modern Latin) is the revival of Literary Latin used in original, scholarly, and scientific works since about 1500. Modern scholarly and technical nomenclature, such as in zoological and botanical taxonomy a ...

''-androus'' ('of or pertaining to stamens'), and is a reference to the thick stamens.Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 63, 287

Species

*''

Pachysandra axillaris ''Pachysandra axillaris'' is a species of plant in the family Buxaceae.Efloras.org. (2020). Pachysandra axillaris in Flora of China via efloras.org. nlineAvailable at: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200012659 ccessed ...

'' - China *''

Pachysandra coriacea ''Pachysandra'' is a genus of five species of evergreen perennials or subshrubs, belonging to the boxwood family Buxaceae. The species are native to eastern Asia and southeast North America, some reaching a height of , with only weakly woody ...

'' (sometimes classified as ''

Sarcococca ''Sarcococca'' (sweet box or Christmas box) is a genus of 11 species of flowering plants in the box family Buxaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia and the Himalayas. They are slow-growing, monoecious, evergreen shrubs tall. The leaves ...

coriacea'') - India, Nepal, Myanmar *''

Pachysandra procumbens ''Pachysandra procumbens'', the Allegheny pachysandra or Allegheny spurge, is a flowering plant in the family Buxaceae, native to the southeast United States from West Virginia and Kentucky south to Florida, and west to Louisiana. The name ''All ...

'' - Allegheny Pachysandra (southeast United States) *''

Pachysandra stylosa ''Pachysandra'' is a genus of five species of evergreen perennials or subshrubs, belonging to the boxwood family Buxaceae. The species are native to eastern Asia and southeast North America, some reaching a height of , with only weakly woody ...

'' - China (sometimes treated as a variety of ''P. axillaris'') *''

Pachysandra terminalis ''Pachysandra terminalis'', the Japanese pachysandra, carpet box or Japanese spurge, is a species of flowering plant in the boxwood family Buxaceae, native to Japan, Korea and China and introduced to eastern North America. It is a slow-growing, ...

'' - China, Japan3. Pachysandra A. Michaux
''Flora of China''

Cultivation and uses

''Pachysandra'' can grow in deep-shade areas and is thus well-suited and popular as

ground cover Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows over an area of ground. Groundcover provides protection of the topsoil from erosion and drought. In an ecosystem, the ground cover forms the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer known as ...

for

shade gardens Shade gardens are a type of garden planted and grown in areas with little or no direct sunlight. Shade gardens may occur naturally or by design under trees, as well as on the side of buildings or fences. This style of garden presents certain cha ...

. The most commonly used species is ''P. terminalis'', the Japanese spurge, which is an aggressively spreading evergreen ground cover. It is very deer-resistant. The form 'Variegata' has leaves attractively variegated green and creamy white, and is slightly less invasive. 'Green Sheen' Pachysandra has extra glossy leaves and slowly spreads. All species in this genus prefer a well-drained soil with a high

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Latin ...

content.

References

External links

Buxaceae Eudicot genera Groundcovers {{eudicot-stub