Daphne
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Daphne
COMMON NAME(S): Daphne
SYNONYM(S):
FAMILY: THYMELIACEAE - Daphne family
ORIGIN: Europe, North Africa, Asia, about 50 spp.
HABITAT: Cultivated landscapes
RANGE:
TYPE:
HEIGHT: Generally 6' or less
CHARACTERISTICS:
LEAVES: Alternate, rarely opposite, with short leaf stems; elliptic
FLOWERS: Showy, very fragrant, funnel-shaped, borne in heads or on short spikes; pink, white, mauve or yellowish-green
FLOWERING SEASON: Winter, spring
FRUITS: White or yellow berries
ALLERGENIC PRINCIPLES: Resins, unknowns
ALLERGENIC PROPERTIES: Dermatological
COMMENTS: All parts of these handsome flowering shrubs can cause contact dermatitis. The most commonly seen are Winter daphne (D. odora Thunb.), D. mezereum L., which has naturalized in some parts of the region, and Garland flower, D. cneorum L.
