Fuchsia magellanica

Illustrator:

Copyright:

Shrubs glabrous or sparsely strigillose. Stems arcuate, 1–3(–5) m. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4 per node, sometimes opposite; petiole 0.5–1(–2) cm; blade elliptic-ovate or ovate to lanceolate, 1.5–6(–7) × 1–2(–4) cm. Flowers 1 or 2 per node of distal leaves, pendent; floral tube crimson, 7–15 mm; sepals crimson, (15–)17–25(–30) mm; petals convolute after anthesis, (8–)11–20 mm; stamens exserted; filaments 18–35 mm; stigma clavate. Berry oblong, 10–22 mm; pedicel (10–)20–55 mm. 2n = 44.

Phenology: Flowering May–Nov.
Habitat: Sea bluffs, ditches, creek banks, damp thickets in partial shade or full sun.
Elevation: 10–200 m.

Introduced; Calif., Oreg., South America, introduced also in w Europe (Ireland), Asia (India), e Africa, Pacific Islands (Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

Fuchsia magellanica is known in the flora area from Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Mendocino, Monterey, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, and Sonoma counties in California, and Coos, Curry, Lane, and Lincoln counties in Oregon; it is native to the southern Andes in South America (Argentina, Chile).

Fuchsia magellanica is a member of sect. Quelusia (Vandelli) de Candolle, characterized by its shrubby-lianoid habit, opposite or whorled leaves, and distinctive floral pattern associated with hummingbird pollination, including violet, convolute petals, strongly exserted stamens, and partially connate sepals that are longer than the floral tubes. In the flora area, it is visited by Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna).

In Oregon, besides the normal red and purple flowered plants, there are also naturalized populations of a much paler flowered form of Fuchsia magellanica in which the floral tubes and sepals are pale white or tinged with pink, and the petals are only slightly purple. Similar populations can be found in the wild in Patagonia, and similar color variants are naturalized in New Zealand. One particular naturalized population near Brookings, Curry County, Oregon, is different from the other naturalized F. magellanica populations, and it appears to have originated from escaped cultivars involving a cross between F. magellanica and F. coccinea Aiton, a Brazilian species also in sect. Quelusia. Another naturalized population at the northern end of Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, California, is adjacent to banks full of F. magellanica, but it is different and appears to be intermediate between F. regia Vellozo and F. coccinea. In California, additional species of Fuchsia have been reported by collections or observations. Fuchsia hybrida hort. ex Siebold & Voss, which can distinguished from F. magellanica by the longer floral tube, 10–20 mm, and sepals 25–30 mm, is a variable garden hybrid involving F. magellanica or F. regia as one of the parents. Most of the observations or collection occurrence outside of cultivation of F. hybrida usually are near buildings or gardens or on a university campus. Fuchsia boliviana Carrière, which can be separated from other others by its floral tube (25–)30–60(–70) mm, scarlet petals, and flowers in pendent racemes or few-branched panicles, was reported as naturalized based on an erroneous observation.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa