Alkekengi officinarum

Illustrator: Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Stems 2.5–9 dm. Leaves: peti­ole 0.6–4.4 cm; blade broadly ovate, (4–)6–11 × (2.5–)4–8.5 cm, margins entire or irreg­ularly dentate. Flowering pedi­cels 9–13 mm. Flowers: calyx 4–7 mm, lobes 2–3.5 mm, tomen­tose; corolla 10–15 mm; anthers yellow, 2.5–3 mm. Fruiting pedicels 20–40 mm. Berries red, 1 cm diam., enclosed in papery, orange-red to bright red calyx, 3–5.5 × 2.5–4.5 cm. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Fence rows, thickets, vacant lots, cemeteries, roadsides, railroad tracks, stream banks.
Elevation: 0–600 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; B.C., Man., N.B., Ont., Que., Conn., Del., Idaho, Ill., Iowa, Maine, Md., Mass., N.Y., Pa., Tenn., Vt., W.Va., Eurasia, introduced also in Australia.

Discussion

Early herbals mention the winter-cherry as a diuretic and a treatment for gout; it is used as a febrifuge in China. The ripe berries are edible. In the flora area, Alkekengi officinarum is most often cultivated as an ornamental. Stems with inflated, orange-red or bright red fruiting calyces are used in floral arrangements. The dried calyces maintain their color for long periods in bouquets. Escaped plants can spread aggressively via rhizomes, and specimen data indicate reproduction and dispersal by seed.

In its native range, two varieties of Alkekengi officinarum are recognized: var. officinarum and var. franchetii (Masters) R. J. Wang. Plants in the flora area, derived from cultivation and likely from multiple sources, may exhibit characteristics of both on a single specimen.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.