Osmanthus
The Osmanthus is a large evergreen shrub or small tree that can reach heights between 15-20 feet. Sometimes the Osmanthus plant is referred to as Devilwood. Its scientific name is Osmanthus x fortunei and is in the Oleaceae family. The Osmanthus is most known for its heavenly aroma produced by the small white autumn blossoms. Because of its sweet frangance it is common to find this shrub in gardens or backyards. It is commonly used as a screen in landscaping. The shrub is commonly slow growing but long-lived.
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Quick Facts About the Tree
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Community Surrounding the Tree
The Osmanthus tree is a very pest and disease resistance species. It was natively found in Asia and in American is found in the mostly the south side of the country. Birds and bees are some of the common visitors of the Osmanthus tree.
Ethnobotany
The Osmanthus x fortunei is a hybrid. The Osmanthus family has over 15 different spices of plants. Most grow in southern Asia and the southeastern United States. Among the species O. fragrans, (a parent of the Osmanthus x fortunei) is native to China where it has been long cultivated for its fragrant flowers that are used to perfume tea and confectionary. In America there are no records that indigenous people used the plant. Osmanthus wood is heavy, hard, strong, resistant and difficult to work. Trees are uncommon making it only useful on a local level as bitter astringent, laxative and emollient. The asian species has been study in labs and was found to contain the following chemicals; monoterpene alkaloids, essential oils, furanosides, and other chemicals. Today the sweet olive shrub is often picked from the garden as fresh fragrance for the house or is planted within the landscape because of its lush green leaves, easy maintenance and the sweet aroma of the autumn blossom.
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Current Research
The current research on the Osmanthus tree focused mostly on fragrance and chemicals found within the plant. There was also a study done on on the flea beetle to help caretakers find the appropriate time to trim the tree.
A recent study was published in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science on the “Characterization of volatile compounds in flowers from four groups of sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) cultivars” The study took four different types of Osmanthus and characterized the volatiles of the flowers. A total of 72 volatiles (chemical elements with low boiling points) were identified. The results varied among the four kinds of flower. The study helped better the understanding of the content in the flowers and will help facilitate development of new Osmanthus cultivars to meet requirements of the food and fragrance industries.
A study was conducted on “Life history of the flea beetle, Argopistes coccinelliformis Csiki (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): VI. Overwintering and oviposition abilities of adults which emerged late in the season.” Overwintered females fleas usually lay eggs on new leaves of host trees, such as Osmanthus X fortune in spring and new adults emerge in early summer. However, when lammas shoots (shoots which are produced after the spring) are produced on host trees during summer and autumn, a small number of eggs are laid again, and a proportion of these can develop into adults. The result of the present experiments suggests that lammas shoot production after trimming conducted from late spring to early autumn gives the fleas a chance to increase their population. Therefore, It is necessary to consider the timing for trimming the branches of Oleaceae from the viewpoint of population control in A. coccinelliformis.
A recent study was published in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science on the “Characterization of volatile compounds in flowers from four groups of sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) cultivars” The study took four different types of Osmanthus and characterized the volatiles of the flowers. A total of 72 volatiles (chemical elements with low boiling points) were identified. The results varied among the four kinds of flower. The study helped better the understanding of the content in the flowers and will help facilitate development of new Osmanthus cultivars to meet requirements of the food and fragrance industries.
A study was conducted on “Life history of the flea beetle, Argopistes coccinelliformis Csiki (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): VI. Overwintering and oviposition abilities of adults which emerged late in the season.” Overwintered females fleas usually lay eggs on new leaves of host trees, such as Osmanthus X fortune in spring and new adults emerge in early summer. However, when lammas shoots (shoots which are produced after the spring) are produced on host trees during summer and autumn, a small number of eggs are laid again, and a proportion of these can develop into adults. The result of the present experiments suggests that lammas shoot production after trimming conducted from late spring to early autumn gives the fleas a chance to increase their population. Therefore, It is necessary to consider the timing for trimming the branches of Oleaceae from the viewpoint of population control in A. coccinelliformis.
Creative Writing
A Road Less Traveled
Chico State is full of lush plant life and nature. It is one of a select few schools that incorporate the beauty of nature into the campus so smoothly one doesn’t notice. I like to walk around and just observe the surrounding area of my new home in Chico. I meander over bridges with the quite creek rushing softly below me. I sit on the lawn and read books. I can feel fall creeping in all around me. Fall brings the marking point of maturity of a tree. The leaves have reached their peak and they change from green to orange and yellow. The leaves remind me of the hair on a middle aged man’s head as it changes from a rich brown to a peppery grey. The steady autumn wind nudges the leaves from their seasonal home freeing them to float through the air like snowflakes in a Christmas movie. The leaves that fall remind me of a time as a child when my sister and I would try to catch as many leaves as we could before they hit the ground. The leaves blanket the ground and crunch under my feet. The drier they get the crunchier they become under the weight of my boots. It smells like fall. The air is crisp and the night creeps in early. In the evening before dusk the grass dews up. Fall is a season to warn mother earth. It gives nature a chance to reminisce on the summer and prepare for a harsh winter. Every tree is in anticipation of what is to come. All of them, that is, except the Osmanthus tree.
I walk by the tree and notice the leaves are green and there are white creamy blossoms dominating every branch. The air is filled with a sweet fragrance. Fresh and welcoming, it is a scent that belongs to the months of April and May. I wonder how it got lost and ended up in October? The tree is out of place among the changing trees. Is it fighting the inevitable change that is looming in the shadows? Or is it a tree of nostalgic qualities? If so, the sweet perfume would be enough to bring anyone back to thoughts of baseball, Palms Sunday and Daffodils. On the other hand maybe the Osmanthus tree is a rebel. It is different than the rest and stands out because of it. It is not a flashy tree or even a tree at that. It has been promoted from a shrub and categorized as a tree by dedication and persistent growth. The base of the trunk is made up of a few small roots intertwined to reinforce the tree.
The Osmanthus tree is unique. It belongs in the same category as those who do things a little differently and prosper because of it. My walks through campus are a time to reflect. The Osmanthus tree is suggest that it’s good to do things differently and go against the daily grind. It’s okay to swim up stream or walk a road less traveled. This is my time and my chance to do things differently. In the end, those actions will add up just like they have for the Osmanthus tree.
I walk by the tree and notice the leaves are green and there are white creamy blossoms dominating every branch. The air is filled with a sweet fragrance. Fresh and welcoming, it is a scent that belongs to the months of April and May. I wonder how it got lost and ended up in October? The tree is out of place among the changing trees. Is it fighting the inevitable change that is looming in the shadows? Or is it a tree of nostalgic qualities? If so, the sweet perfume would be enough to bring anyone back to thoughts of baseball, Palms Sunday and Daffodils. On the other hand maybe the Osmanthus tree is a rebel. It is different than the rest and stands out because of it. It is not a flashy tree or even a tree at that. It has been promoted from a shrub and categorized as a tree by dedication and persistent growth. The base of the trunk is made up of a few small roots intertwined to reinforce the tree.
The Osmanthus tree is unique. It belongs in the same category as those who do things a little differently and prosper because of it. My walks through campus are a time to reflect. The Osmanthus tree is suggest that it’s good to do things differently and go against the daily grind. It’s okay to swim up stream or walk a road less traveled. This is my time and my chance to do things differently. In the end, those actions will add up just like they have for the Osmanthus tree.
References
Austin, D. F. (2004). pg 800. In Florida ethnobotany. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Evans, E. (n.d.). Shrubs: Osmanthus x fortunei. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/osmanthus_xfortunei.html
Inoue, T. (1998). Life history of the flea beetle, Argopistes coccinelliformis Csiki (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): VI. Overwintering and oviposition abilities of adults which emerged late in the season. Applied Entomology and Zoology, 33
Gilman , E., & Watson, D. (1994). Osmanthus x fortunei Fortunes Osmanthus. Retrieved from University of Florida website: http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/osmfora.pdf
Haiping, X., Benhong, W., & Bo, Y. (2013). Characterization of volatile compounds in flowers from four groups of sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) cultivars.Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 93(5), 923-931.
How are Osmanthus Fragrans & Osmanthus Fortunei differernt? - Shrubs Forum - GardenWeb [Web log post]. (2008, April 8). Retrieved from http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/shrubs/msg0413515024948.html
Kimball, J. W. (2010, December 22). Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms. Retrieved October 12, 2013, from http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Angiosperm.html
Osmanthus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013, September 30). Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmanthus
Evans, E. (n.d.). Shrubs: Osmanthus x fortunei. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/osmanthus_xfortunei.html
Inoue, T. (1998). Life history of the flea beetle, Argopistes coccinelliformis Csiki (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): VI. Overwintering and oviposition abilities of adults which emerged late in the season. Applied Entomology and Zoology, 33
Gilman , E., & Watson, D. (1994). Osmanthus x fortunei Fortunes Osmanthus. Retrieved from University of Florida website: http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/osmfora.pdf
Haiping, X., Benhong, W., & Bo, Y. (2013). Characterization of volatile compounds in flowers from four groups of sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) cultivars.Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 93(5), 923-931.
How are Osmanthus Fragrans & Osmanthus Fortunei differernt? - Shrubs Forum - GardenWeb [Web log post]. (2008, April 8). Retrieved from http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/shrubs/msg0413515024948.html
Kimball, J. W. (2010, December 22). Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms. Retrieved October 12, 2013, from http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Angiosperm.html
Osmanthus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013, September 30). Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmanthus