Farfugium japonicum
Encyclopedia
Farfugium japonicum is a plant of the family Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...

, also known as leopard plant, green leopard plant, and ligularia.

Farfugium japonicum is native to rocky coastal cliffs of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 (called Tsuwabuki, written 石蕗), Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

.

Description

Farfugium japonicum grows in a loose clump about 2 ft (0.6 m) tall and wide spreading by rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...

s. Daisy-like yellow flowers, 1-2 in (2.5-5.1 cm) across, are borne in loose clusters.

Some cultivars have shiny green leaves variegated with irregular creamy white or yellow markings, which are leathery and large, 4-10 in (10.2-25.4 cm) across, rounded or kidney shaped, with wavy or toothed margins, held aloft on long stalks, and they are evergreen. Others are an even green without the white or yellow markings.

Cultivation

Farfugium japonicum is grown as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...

 for garden planting and containers. The variegated cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...

s are often used to brighten shade garden settings. Farfugium japonicum var. giganteum is a very large leaved selection.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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