Daphne mezereum L.

Species: Daphne mezereum L., Genus: Daphne, Family: Thymelaeaceae, Group: Angiosperms

(Daphne mezereum L.)

-> Genus: Daphne -> Family: Thymelaeaceae -> Group: Angiosperms

Habitus

i tis a shrub up to 1.5 m high, sparsely branched
bark is smooth, light grey, later dark grey, shallowly fissured longitudinally

Daphne mezereum - Tichá dolina, Western Tatras, Slovakia (approx. 1,270 m above the sea level)

Daphne mezereum - Tichá dolina, Western Tatras, Slovakia (approx. 1,160 m above the sea level)

Shoots

shoots are straight, when young greenish-grey, tomentose, later they are yellow-grey to grey, glabrous, tough (they bend but do not break)

Leaves (assimilation organs)

leaves are simple, lanceolate to elongated obovate, 4 - 8 x 1 - 2 cm large
at the end they are bluntly pointed, at the base cuneate, entire margin, sessile
the upper side is dark green, the lower side is grey-green
the leaves are arranged in a spiral and more or less piled up at the end of the branches

Flowers

it is a monoecious tree, flowers are bisexual, purple-pink to red
it blooms early in spring in II – III before the leaves develop
they are grouped into lateral few-flowered clusters (they often grow on a branch as a continuous racemose inflorescence)
the flowers are strongly aromatic

Fruits – seeds

the fruit is a red spherical (to ovoid) drupe, 8 - 10 mm in size
it contains one 4 -6 mm large, oval brown stone

Extension

it was originally widespread in Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, western Siberia to Altai
in Slovakia it grows from the lowest altitudes to the dwarf pine zone
it grows mainly in lighted deciduous, but also coniferous forests and on forest edges

Daphne mezereum - Prosiecka Valley, Chočské Hills, Slovakia

Ecology

it is a semi-shaded woody plant, more demanding on the content of nutrients in the soil, but also on soil moisture
it is frost-resistant

Significance

it is poisonous !
at the time of flowering, as an ornamental park shrub

Daphne mezereum - as an ornamental shrub during flowering (Hrádok Arboretum)

From history

Daphne mezereum - Unsere Waldbäume, Sträucher und Zwergholzgewächse. Heidelberg, Carl Winter`s Universitätsbuchhandlung

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