Flolape

Boxwood

Buxus microphylla Siebold & Zucc.
Boxwood
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

Buxus microphylla is a species in the Buxaceae family, native to Japan and found in various regions including the conterminous United States, Colombia, and globally. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree, typically reaching up to 7 meters in height. The species was first described in 1845 by Siebold & Zucc.

Description

Buxus microphylla has small, thick, elliptic leaves with a yellowish-green underside and a green surface. The flowers are borne in clusters at the tips of branches or in the leaf axils, with four sepals and male flowers containing four stamens. The fruit is an egg-shaped, hairless capsule that turns brown when mature. In Japan, it is sometimes classified as a variety with smaller leaves, but such distinctions are considered regional variations. The species is known as Japanese box or littleleaf box and is used in horticulture.

Other common names

Littleleaf boxwoodBoxwoodLittleleaf Box

Distribution

MX · SE · AM · Cundinamarca, Quindío · DK · Global · Jardín Botánico de Bogotá · NO · Bogotá · conterminous 48 United States · Japan · Manizales

Synonyms

Buxus fortuneiBuxus japonicaBuxus kitashimaeBuxus microphylla var. japonicaBuxus microphylla var. kitashimaeBuxus microphylla f. majorBuxus microphylla f. tenuisBuxus obcordatavariegataBuxus ovalifoliaBuxus rotundifoliaBuxus sempervirens var. japonicaBuxus sempervirens var. microphyllaBuxus virensBuxus sempervirens var. microphyllaBuxus microphylla f. rubraBuxus microphylla f. major

Related species