''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Rosaceae,

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 North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species).

Description

''Physocarpus'' are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

shrubs with peeling bark''Physocarpus opulifolius'' 'Diabolo'.
Missouri Botanical Garden. and alternately arranged leaves. The leaves are palmate with 3 to 7 lobes and often toothed edges. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...

is a cluster of bell-shaped flowers with 5 rounded white or pink petals and many stamens. The fruit is a flat or inflated dehiscent follicle.''Physocarpus''.
The Jepson eFlora 2013.''Physocarpus''.
Flora of China. '' Physocarpus opulifolius'' is cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

. Several

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s have been bred, particularly for foliage of varying colors, including 'Dart's Gold' and 'Luteus', which have yellowish leaves, and 'Monlo' and 'Seward', which have reddish purple foliage.

Taxonomy

Species

There are sixOh, S. H. and D. Potter. (2005)
Molecular phylogenetic systematics and biogeography of tribe Neillieae (Rosaceae) using DNA sequences of cpDNA, rDNA, and LEAFY.
''American Journal of Botany'' 92(1), 179-92.Oh, S. H., et al. (2010)
Phylogenetic relationship of ''Physocarpus insularis'' (Rosaceae) endemic on Ulleung Island: implications for conservation biology.
''Journal of Plant Biology'' 53(1), 94-105. to 20 species in the genus. They include: Physocarpus monogynus bark1

*'' Physocarpus alternans'' – dwarf ninebark (western North America) *'' Physocarpus amurensis'' – Asian ninebark (Asia) *'' Physocarpus australis'' *'' Physocarpus bracteatus'' – (Colorado) *'' Physocarpus capitatus'' – Pacific ninebark (western North America) *'' Physocarpus glabratus'' – (Colorado) *'' Physocarpus malvaceus'' – mallow ninebark (western North America) *'' Physocarpus monogynus'' – mountain ninebark (North America) *'' Physocarpus opulifolius'' – common ninebark (eastern North America) *'' Physocarpus pauciflorus'' *'' Physocarpus ribesifolia'' – (Asia)

Synonyms

*''Physocarpus hanceana'' = '' Neillia hanceana'' *''Physocarpus intermedius'' = ''Physocarpus opulifolius'' var. ''intermedius'' * ''Physocarpus torreyi'' = ''Physocarpus monogynus'' *''Physocarpus stellatus'' = ''Physocarpus opulifolius''

Etymology

The genus name ''Physocarpus'' comes from the Greek word for "bladder fruit", referring to the inflated fruits of some species. The common name 'ninebark' refers to the peeling bark of mature branches, which comes away in strips.

Cultivation

Propagation is by seeds sown as soon as ripe or they can be stored dry in airtight containers in a cool place for up to a year and then sown. Plants can be divided in the early spring, with a sharp spade or even an axe, chopping right through the middle. Softwood and hardwood cuttings are easy to root. Garden writers describe few if any problems, but it is not unheard for armies of aphids to attack some varieties. Some seaside specimens exhibit powdery mildew in summer.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q133596 Neillieae Rosaceae genera