New York Metropolitan Flora

Genus: Spiraea

Spiraea thunbergii
Spiraea thunbergii

By Science Staff

Not peer reviewed

Last Modified 03/15/2013

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Nomenclature

Spiraea L., Sp. Pl. 1: 489. 1753. Gen. Pl., ed. 5, 216. 1754. LECTOTYPE: Spiraea salicifolia L., designated by Rydberg (1908).

Awayus Raf., Sylva Tellur. 151. 1838. TYPE: Awayus japonica Raf. ex Merr. (=Spirea japonica Raf., nom. illeg. not Spiraea japonica L. f.).

Key to the species of Spiraea

1. Inflorescences simple, unbranched umbel or umbellike racemes...2
1. Inflorescences compound, branched panicles or corymbs...3

2. Leaves ovate to oblong-lanceolate...Spiraea prunifolia
2. Leaves linear-lanceolate...Spiraea thunbergii

3. Inflorescences corymbs, the floriferous part wider than long...5
3. Inflorescences panicles, longer than broad...4

4. Leaves beneath and inflorescences densely tomentose...Spiraea tomentosa
4. Leaves and inflorecences nearly or quite glabrous...Spiraea alba

5. Leaves acute, obtuse, or rounded; flowers usually white...Spiraea betulifolia
5. Leaves long-acuminate; flowers usually pink...Spiraea japonica

List of Spiraea Species

Spiraea alba var. latifolia Spiraea betulifolia Spiraea japonica Spiraea prunifolia Spiraea thunbergii Spiraea tomentosa Spiraea x vanhouttei

References to Spiraea

  • Baldwin, J. T. 1951. Chromosomes of Spiraea and of certain other genera of Rosaceae. Rhodora 53(632): 203-6.
  • Baldwin, J. T. 1946. Spiraea latifolia var. septentrionalis in Virginia. Rhodora 48: 112.
  • Burnham, S. H. 1901. Field days of the Torrey Botanical Club. Torreya 1: 119-20.
  • Clarkson, R. 1959. The West Virginia Spiraea. Castanea 24: 143-6.
  • Evans, R. C.; Dickinson, T. A. 1999. Floral ontogeny and morphology in subfamily Spiraeoideae Endl. (Rosaceae). Int. J. Plant Sci. 160: 981-1012.
  • Fernald, M. L. 1912. The inland variety of Spiraea tomentosa. Rhodora 14: 188-90.
  • Fosberg, F. R. 1941. Observations on Virginia plants, part I. Virginia J. Sci. 2: 106-11.
  • Gille, A. 1949. Le Spiraea tomentosa L. dans la region de Granby (comte de Shefford, Quebec, Canada): etude ecologique et phytosociologique. Vegetatio 2: 166-96. (In French; English summary)
  • Glenn, Steven D. 1997. Bombus sp. visiting flowers of Spiraea latifolia.
  • Greene, E. L. 1892. On certain Spiraeaceae. Pittonia 2: 219-22.
  • Habeck, R. J. 1991. Spiraea betulifolia. ()
  • Hall, I. V.; Murray, R. A.; Jackson, L. P. 1979. The Biology of Canadian weeds. 2. Spiraea latifolia. In: The Biology of Canadian weeds. Contributions 1-32. Biosystematics Research Institute, Ottawa. , 16-22 pages. (Publication 1693)
  • Hall, I. V.; Murray, R. A.; Jackson, L. P. 1974. The biology of Canadian weeds: 2. Spiraea latifolia. Canad. J. Pl. Sci. 54(1): 141-7.
  • Hegelmaier, C. F. 1868. Die Lemnaceen. Eine monographische Untersuchung. Leipzig.
  • Hess, W. J. 1976. A note on Spiraea betulifolia (Rosaceae). Baileya 20(1): 25-8.
  • Hélye, D. 1935. Etude sur les Spirees. Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 1935: 17-24.
  • Kugel, A. R. 1958. Variation in the Spiraea alba-latifolia complex. Ph.D. Dissertation Univ. Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI124 p. (See also Diss. Abstr. 19(6):1183-1184. 1958)
  • Lindenhofer, A; Weber, A 1999. Polyandry in Rosaceae: evidence for a spiral origin of the androecium in Spiraeoideae. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 121: 553-582.
  • Martine, C. T. et.al. 2008. Fifteen woody species with potential for invasiveness in New England. Rhodora 110: 345-353.
  • Mead, E. 1821. An experimental inquiry into the botanical history, chemical properties and medicinal virtues of the Spiraea tomentosa. Med. Repos. 6: 255-72.
  • Nash, G. V. 1918. Spiraea thunbergii. Addisonia 3: 63-5.
  • Rehder, A. 1902. Webb's "Study of Spiraea". Bot. Gaz. 34: 246.
  • Robertson, C. 1894. Flowers and insects: Rosaceae and Compositae. Trans. St. Louis Acad. Sci. 6: 435-80.
  • Rydberg, A. 1908. Notes on Rosaceae- I. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 35: 535-42.
  • Rydberg, P. A. 1905. Rosaceae. N. Amer. Fl. 22: 239-480. (1905-1913)
  • Salamun, P. J. 1951. A population study of the variation in the inflorescence of Spiraea tomentosa. Rhodora 53(636): 280-92.
  • Sax, K. 1936. Polyploidy and geographic distribution in Spiraea. J. Arnold Arbor. 17: 352-6.
  • Schaeppi, H.; Frank, K. 1967. Vergleichend-morphologische Untersuchungen an der Blutenachse und am Gynoecum einiger Spiraeoideen (Spierstrauchgewochse). Mitt. Naturwiss. Ges. Winterhur 32: 73-104.
  • Schneider, C. K. 1905. Uebersicht uber die spontanen Arten und Formen der Gattung Spiraea (Euspiraea). Bull. Herb. Boissier 5: 335-350. (In German)
  • Small, E. 1976. Insect pollinators of the Mer Bleue peat bog of Ottawa. Canad. Field-Naturalist 90: 22-28.
  • Uttal, L. J. 1974. The varieties of Spiraea betulifolia. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 101: 35-6.
  • Uttal, L. J. 1973. An infraspecific nomenclatorial correction in Spiraea. Castanea 38(2): 205.
  • Webb, J. E. 1901. A morphological study of the flower and embryo of Spiraea. Bot. Gaz. 33: 451-60. (Astilbe & Aruncus misidentified along with 1 Spiraea)
  • Wiegand, K. M. 1900. Some varieties of Potamogeton and Spiraea. Rhodora 2: 102-4.
  • Zika, P. F. 2003. Notes on the provenance of some eastern wetland species disjunct in western North America. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 130: 43-46.