Caprifoliaceae
Abelia

Abelia parvifolia Hemsl.

First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 23: 358 (1888)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is China (Hubei). It is a shrub and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Kew Species Profiles

General Description
Schumann abelia is an elegant shrub with arching stems, which bear clusters of attractive, lilac-pink flowers throughout the summer.

The generic name, Abelia, commemorates Dr Clarke Abel, a botanist and surgeon who visited China in 1816-1817 as Chief Medical Officer (on the recommendation of Sir Joseph Banks) and Naturalist to the Embassy. However, Abelia parvifolia was not grown in western gardens until almost a century later. As A. schumannii in Plantae Wilsonae, it was one of the many plants collected by Ernest Wilson (also known as 'Chinese' Wilson) on expeditions in 1907, 1908 and 1910, and sent back to the Arnold Arboretum in the USA. Abelia schumannii is now considered to be a synonym of A. parvifolia, which is a variable species.

Species Profile
Geography and distribution

Native to central China (west Sichuan Province), where it occurs at 1,200-3,600 m above sea level.

Description

A deciduous shrub up to around 2 m tall, with slender, arching branches. The young twigs are purple and covered with downy hairs. The leaves are green, ovate, rounded at the tip and up to about 3 cm long by about 1 cm wide. The funnel-shaped flowers are rose-pink with orange markings and up to about 1.5 cm long, and bloom from May to August.

Uses

Abelia parvifolia is cultivated as an ornamental. It has received an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society (under the synonym Abelia schumannii ).

Cultivation

Abelia parvifolia performs best in full sun, in moist but well-drained soil. It can be propagated by cuttings.

This species at Kew

Abelia parvifolia (currently labelled Abelia schumannii ) is grown to the south of the Stable Yard at Kew.

Alcohol-preserved and pressed and dried specimens of other species of Abelia are held in Kew's Herbarium, where they are available to researchers by appointment. The details of some of these can be seen online in the Herbarium Catalogue.

Distribution
China
Ecology
Thickets, dry valleys and by rivers.
Conservation
Not known to be threatened.
Hazards

None known.

[KSP]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Landrein, S., Farjon, A. (2020). A monograph of Caprifoliaceae: Linnaeeae. Kew Bulletin 75: 1 doi:10.1007/s12225-018-9762-5

Type
Lectotype: China, Hubei, Yichang Pref., March 1886, A. Henry 664 (lectotype K!, isolectotype P!).
Morphology General Shoots
Young shoots hirsute and densely glandular hairy
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 10 – 16 mm long, ovate, leathery, entire and with a recurved margin
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence many-flowered, corolla almost infundibuliform.
Distribution
China, Funiu Shan.
Conservation
Critically Endangered ( CR). This is the most localised and rarest variety of Abelia macrotera, now possibly extinct. 6 collections; AOO = 4 km2; EOO = 0 km2; threats are the Three Gorges Dam, agriculture, urbanisation and logging; Critically Endangered (CR) (B1ab(iii)).
Phenology
Flowering June – July.
Note
Parvifolia from the Latin parvus (small) and folium (leaf), having small leaves.
[KBu]

Uses

Use
Ornamental.
[KSP]

Common Names

English
Schumann abelia

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Bulletin

    • Kew Bulletin
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Species Profiles

    • Kew Species Profiles
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0