Viburnum tinus L.
laurustinus
Evergreen shrub to c. 5 m high, nearly glabrous except for young shoots and lvs. Petioles 0.7-3-(4) cm long, purplish, often hispid on exposed stems. Lamina 5-13-(15) × 2-6-(7) cm, ovate, ovate-oblong or elliptic, entire, glabrous except for axillary tufts beneath, sometimes ± hispid on midrib and lower part of main veins on both sides, somewhat shining above; base broad-cuneate to rounded; apex obtuse or acute. Infl. corymbose, to c. 8 cm diam.; branches, bracts and calyx purplish or reddish purple, glabrous or sparsely stellate-hairy. Fls ± fragrant. Calyx lobes c. 1 mm long, triangular. Corolla 3.5-5 mm long, rotate, 7-9 mm diam., white at anthesis, often becoming pink. Stamens > corolla; anthers c. 1 mm long, broad-oblong. Drupe 6-7 mm long excluding calyx, broad-ovoid, shining dark blue.
S.: Riccarton Bush (Christchurch), Hatfield (S. Canterbury), Dunedin and Seacliff (Otago).
S. Europe 1958
Forests and forest margins.
FL Jan-Dec.
Laurustinus is very commonly cultivated in N.Z., particularly in E. and inland parts of the South Id, where it is often planted as a hedge. Although it fruits freely, wild plants are uncommon. The above description applies only to var. tinus as this is the only var. so far collected wild. However, in cultivation, particularly in old Canterbury gardens, there are many plants of var. lucidum (Miller) Aiton with shinier lvs, conspicuously stellate hairs on the infl., and the corolla about twice as large as that of var. tinus. Var. hirtum Aiton with prominently strigose shoots, petioles and lf veins is also grown.
