Philadelphus lewisii - Mock-orange

Philadelphus lewisii - Mock-orange

Philadelphus lewisii (5192115899)
(Wikimedia)1
Philadelphus lewisii 01
(Wikimedia)2
Philadelphus lewisii var. californicus JRVdH 01
Philadelphus lewisii var. californicus
(Wikimedia)3

Description

General: Deciduous shrub, erect, loosely branched, 1.5-3 m tall; bark reddish-brown, turning grey and flaking off in patches; twigs glabrous to hairy." [IFBC-E-flora]
Leaves: Opposite, short-stalked, widely egg-shaped to rounded, 3-5 cm long, margins entire to toothed, flat with 3 major veins from the leaf base, slightly sand-papery to touch." [IFBC-E-flora]
Flowers: Inflorescence of 3-15 flowers in a raceme; petals 4, white, 5-20 mm long, oblong; calyces top-shaped or bell-shaped, 4-6 mm long, 4-lobed, the lobes egg-shaped, 5-6 mm long; stamens yellow, numerous, unequal." [IFBC-E-flora]
Fruits: Capsules, 4-chambered, woody, 1 cm long; seeds many, spindle-shaped, brown, 2.5-3 mm long." [IFBC-E-flora]

Habitat/Range: "Moist to dry talus slopes, shrublands, streamsides and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC; E to SW AB and S to MT, ID and N CA." [IFBC-E-flora]

Status: Native [E-flora]

Ecological Indicator Information

"A shade-intolerant. submontane to subalpine, North American deciduous shrub distributed more in the Cordilleran than the Pacific region. Occurs in continental cool temperate and cool semiarid climates on moderately dry to fresh, nitrogen-medium soils; its occurrence increases with increasing temperature and continentality and decreases with increasing elevation. Scattered in open-canopy Douglas-fir forests; in the coast-interior ecotone more frequent on water-shedding sites than water-receiving sites. Characteristic of dry continental forests." [IPBC-E-flora]

Other Uses

Saponins

The leaves and flowers are rich in saponins, when   crushed and mixed with water they produce a lather that is an effective cleaner, used on the body, clothes etc (99, 169, 257). [PFAF] You can wash   your hands by merely picking a couple of leaves or a bunch of blossom,   wetting your hands and then rubbing the plant material vigorously as if   it was a bar of soap(K). [PFAF] This soap is a very gentle cleaner that   does not remove the body's natural oils, but does remove dirt. It is not very effective against oil (K). An infusion of the bark can also be used(99, 169). [PFAF]

Baketry

The stems can be used in making fine coiled baskets(257). [PFAF]

Wood

Strong, very hard. Used for tool handles (99). [PFAF]

Medicinal Uses

Leaves & Wood

The dried powdered leaves, or the powdered wood, has been mixed with pitch or oil and used as a rub on sores and swollen joints (257). [PFAF]

Leaves

A poultice of the bruised leaves has been used to treat infected breasts(257). [PFAF]

Branches

A strained decoction of the branches, sometimes with the flowers, has been used as a soaking solution in the treatment of   sore chests, eczema and bleeding haemorrhoids(257). [PFAF]

PHILADELPHUS - MOCK ORANGE

"Shrub < 3 m. Stem: bark red-brown, aging gray, peeling as narrow rectangles or strips; twigs glabrous to hairy. Leaf: deciduous, petioled; blade 3-veined from base, +/- glabrous to hairy, margin entire to toothed. Inflorescence: flower 1, or raceme to panicle, terminal, +/- open. Flower: fragrant; sepals 4–5, glabrous to hairy; petals 4–5, white; stamens generally many, clustered, filaments linear, fused at base; ovary 1/2 to completely inferior, chambers 4–5, placentas axile, ovules many, style 1, branches generally 4, stigmas linear along style branches. Fruit: becoming woody, generally loculicidal. Seed: many, generally fusiform, generally brown."
"+/- 65 species: temperate America, Eurasia. (Greek: for Ptolemy   Philadelphus, Greek king of Egypt, 309–247 BC) [Frazier 1999 New Mexico   Botanist 13:1–6] Many intergrading infraspecific taxa described; more study needed to determine which warrant recognition." [Jespon]

Local Species;

     
  1. Philadelphus lewisii - mock-orange [E-flora]

References

Image References