Fuchsia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Fuchsia (disambiguation).

iFuchsia

Fuchsia magellanica shoots with
flowers (above) and berries (below)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Onagraceae
Genus:	Fuchsia L.

Species

About 100; see text

Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants, mostly shrubs, which were identified by Charles Plumier in the late 17th century, and named by Linnaeus in 1753 after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566). The English vernacular name Fuchsia is the same as the scientific name.

There are about 100-110 species of Fuchsia. The great majority are native to South America, but with a few occurring north through Central America to Mexico, and also several on New Zealand and Tahiti. One species, Fuchsia magellanica, extends as far as the southern tip of South America on Tierra del Fuego in the cool temperate zone, but the majority are tropical or subtropical. Most fuchsias are shrubs from 0.2-4 m tall, but one New Zealand species, Kotukutuku (Fuchsia excorticata), is unusual in the genus in being a tree, growing up to 12-15 m tall.

Fuchsia leaves are opposite or in whorls of 3-5, simple lanceolate and usually have serrated margins (entire in some species), 1-25 cm long, and can be either deciduous or evergreen depending on the species. The flowers are very decorative pendulous 'eardrop' shape, borne in profusion throughout the summer and autumn, and all year in tropical species. They have four long, slender, sepals and four shorter, broader, petals; in many species the sepals are bright red and the petals purple (colours that attract the hummingbirds that pollinate them), but the colours can vary from white to dark red, purple-blue, and orange. A few have yellowish tones, and recent hybrids have added the color white in various combinations. The fruit is a small (5-25 mm) dark reddish green, deep red, or deep purple edible berry containing numerous very small seeds. Many people describe the fruit as having a subtle grape flavor spiced with black pepper.

Selected species

Fuchsia magdalenae
Fuchsia magellanica (Magellanic Fuchsia)
Fuchsia microphylla
Fuchsia paniculata (Shrubby Fuchsia)
Fuchsia procumbens
Fuchsia regia
Fuchsia simplicicaulis
Fuchsia splendens
Fuchsia thymifolia
Fuchsia tillettiana
Fuchsia triphylla
Fuchsia venusta

[edit] Cultivation

Fuchsias are popular garden shrubs, though only the hardiest species like Fuchsia magellanica can be grown outdoors in areas like the British Isles (where it has also become naturalised in Ireland and southwestern Britain), with many of the popular cultivars being greenhouse plants there.

The most common cultivars are hybrids, of which there are thousands, propagated by cuttings, since seeds will not breed true.

[edit] Pronunciation

While the original pronunciation from the word's German origin is "fook-sya" /ˈfʊksja/, most English speakers tend to say "fyew'sha" /ˈfjuːʃə/. As a result, the word is often subjected to misspellings such as "fushcia" or "fuschia". In English, the other acceptable pronunciation is "fyewk'see-ah", which is somewhat truer to the word's origin.