Spiraea

''Spiraea'' , sometimes spelled spirea in common names, and commonly known as meadowsweets or steeplebushes, is a genus of about 80 to 100 species''Spiraea''.
Flora of China. of shrubs in the family Rosaceae. They are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest diversity in eastern Asia.

The genus formerly included the herbaceous species now segregated into the genera '' Filipendula'' and '' Aruncus''; recent genetic evidence has shown that ''Filipendula'' is only distantly related to ''Spiraea'', belonging in the subfamily Rosoideae.

Description

'' Spiraea betulifolia''

'' Spiraea betulifolia'' in autumn
''Spiraea'' plants are hardy, deciduous-leaved shrubs. The leaves are simple and usually short stalked, and are arranged in a spiralling, alternate fashion. In most species, the leaves are lanceolate (narrowly oval) and about long. The leaf margins are usually toothed, occasionally cut or lobed, and rarely smooth. Stipules are absent.

The many small flowers of ''Spiraea'' shrubs are clustered together in inflorescences, usually in dense panicles, umbrella-like corymbs, or grape-like clusters. The radial symmetry of each flower is five fold, with the flowers usually bisexual, rarely unisexual. The flowers have five sepals and five white, pink, or reddish petals that are usually longer than the sepals. Each flower has many (15 to 60) stamens. The fruit is an aggregate of follicles.

Ecology

''Spiraea'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of many Lepidoptera species, including the brown-tail, the small emperor moth, the grey dagger, the setaceous Hebrew character, and the moth '' Hypercompe indecisa''.

The leaves of ''S. betulifolia'' are eaten by blue grouse in spring, and the plant is browsed by deer in summer.

Uses

Food

Native Americans ate the species ''S. betulifolia''.

Horticulture

Many species of ''Spiraea'' are used as ornamental plants in temperate climates, particularly for their showy clusters of dense flowers. Some species bloom in the spring, others in midsummer.

The following species, hybrids and cultivars are among those found in cultivation:

*''S.'' 'Arguta'
*''S. betulifolia''
*''S. canescens''
*''S. cantoniensis''
* ''S.'' × ''cinerea''
*''S. douglasii''
*''S. japonica''
*''S. nipponica''
*''S. prunifolia''
*''S.'' × ''pseudosalicifolia''
*''S. salicifolia''
*''S.'' 'Snow White'
*''S. thunbergii''
*''S. trichocarpa''
*''S.'' × ''vanhouttei''
*''S. veitchii''

''Spiraea'' 'Arguta' (bridal wreath) and ''Spiraea'' × ''cinerea'' 'Grefsheim' have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Traditional medicine

''Spiraea'' contain salicylates. Acetylsalicylic acid was first isolated from '' Filipendula ulmaria,'' a species at the time classified in the genus ''Spiraea''. The word "aspirin" was coined by adding ''a-'' (for acetylation) to ''spirin'', from the German ''Spirsäure'', a reference to ''Spiraea''.

Native American groups have various medicinal uses for local ''Spiraea'' species. ''S. betulifolia'' is used for abdominal pain and made into a tea. The Blackfoot use ''S. splendens'' root in an enema and to treat venereal conditions.

Other

Native Americans found ''S. douglasii'' useful for making brooms and hanging seafood to cook.

Species

*'' Spiraea affinis''
*'' Spiraea alaskaense''
*'' Spiraea alba'' – narrow-leaved meadowsweet, pale bridewort
*'' Spiraea albiflora''
*'' Spiraea amoena''
*'' Spiraea arcuata''
*'' Spiraea baldschuanica''
*'' Spiraea bella''
*'' Spiraea betulifolia'' – white meadowsweet
*'' Spiraea blumei''
*'' Spiraea calcicola''
*'' Spiraea cana''
*'' Spiraea canescens'' – Himalayan spiraea
*'' Spiraea cantoniensis'' – Reeve's spiraea
*'' Spiraea chamaedryfolia'' – elm-leaf spiraea, germander meadowsweet
*'' Spiraea crenata''
*'' Spiraea decumbens''
*'' Spiraea douglasii'' – Douglas' spiraea, steeplebush
*'' Spiraea gemmata''
*'' Spiraea henryi''
*'' Spiraea hypericifolia'' – Iberian meadowsweet
*'' Spiraea japonica'' – Japanese spiraea
*'' Spiraea latifolia'' - broadleaf meadowsweet
*'' Spiraea longigemmis''
*'' Spiraea media'' – Russian spiraea
*'' Spiraea micrantha''
*'' Spiraea miyabei''
*'' Spiraea mollifolia''
*''Spiraea nervosa''
*'' Spiraea nipponica''
*'' Spiraea prunifolia'' – bridal-wreath spiraea
*'' Spiraea pubescens''
*'' Spiraea rosthornii''
*'' Spiraea salicifolia'' – bridewort, willowleaf meadowsweet
*''Spiraea sargentiana''
*'' Spiraea septentrionalis'' – northern meadowsweet
*'' Spiraea splendens'' – rose meadowsweet
*'' Spiraea stevenii'' – beauverd spirea
*'' Spiraea thunbergii'' – Thunberg's meadowsweet
*'' Spiraea tomentosa'' – hardhack, steeplebush
*'' Spiraea trichocarpa'' – Korean meadow spiraea
*'' Spiraea trilobata'' – Asian meadowsweet
*'' Spiraea veitchii''
*'' Spiraea virginiana'' – Virginia spiraea
*'' Spiraea wilsonii''
*'' Spiraea yunnanensis''

Formerly placed here

*''Spiraea lobata'', moved to ''Filipendula rubra''
*''Spiraea discolor'', moved to '' Holodiscus discolor''

Hybrids

There are also numerous named hybrids, some occurring naturally in the wild, others bred in gardens, including several important ornamental plants:

*''Spiraea'' × ''arguta'' (''S.'' × ''multiflora'' × ''S. thunbergii'') – garland spiraea
*''Spiraea'' × ''billiardii'' (''S. douglasii'' × ''S. salicifolia'') – Billiard's spiraea
*''Spiraea'' × ''blanda'' (''S. nervosa'' × ''S. cantoniensis'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''brachybotrys'' (''S. canescens'' × ''S. douglasii'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''bumalda'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. albiflora'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''cinerea'' (''S. hypericifolia'' × ''S. cana'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''conspicua'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. latifolia'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''fontenaysii'' (''S. canescens'' × ''S. salicifolia'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''foxii'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. betulifolia'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''gieseleriana'' (''S. cana'' × ''S. chamaedryfolia'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''macrothyrsa'' (''S. douglasii'' × ''S. latifolia'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''multiflora'' (''S. crenata'' × ''S. hypericifolia'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''notha'' (''S. betulifolia'' × ''S. latifolia'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''nudiflora'' (''S. chamaedryfolia'' × ''S. bella'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''pikoviensis'' (''S. crenata'' × ''S. media'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''pyramidata'' (''S. betulifolia'' × ''S. douglasii'') – pyramid spiraea
*''Spiraea'' × ''revirescens'' (''S. amoena'' × ''S. japonica'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''sanssouciana'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. douglasii'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''schinabeckii'' (''S. chamaedryfolia'' × ''S. trilobata'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''semperflorens'' (''S. japonica'' × ''S. salicifolia'')
*''Spiraea'' × ''vanhouttei'' (''S. trilobata'' × ''S. cantoniensis'') – Van Houtte's spiraea
*''Spiraea'' × ''watsoniana'' (''S. douglasii'' × ''S. densiflora'')

References

External links

GRIN Species Records of ''Spiraea''.
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
''Spiraea''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q148745

Spiraeeae
Rosaceae genera