Lespedeza japonica L. H. Bailey

Cyclop, Americ, Hort. 2: 904 (1901)-Nakai, Lesp. Jap. Korea, 23 (1927), excl. var. intermedia Nakai, var. angustifolia (Nakai) Nakai, var. gracilis Nakai, var. retusa Nakai, et syn. L. intermedia (non Britt.) var. alba Nakai-Murata in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 29: 100 (1978), excl. f. angustifolia (Nakai) Murata, f. sericea (Hatus.) Murata, var. australis (Hatus.) Murata et L. Thunbergii (DC.) Nakai f. angustifolia (Nakai) Ohwi in syn.-Ohashi in Satake et al. Wild Fl. Jap. Herb. 2: 205 (1982), pro parte, excl. f. angustifolia (Nakai) Murata, var. australis (Hatus.) Murata et syn. L. Thunbergii (DC.) Nakai f. angustifolia (Nakai) Ohwi. [Plates 24 & 25; Fig. 49]

L. japonica is here treated as a composite cultivated species including derivatives from hybrid forms between L. formosa (especially subsp. velutina) and other wild species. The type specimen of Cv. Nipponica is most similar to wild subsp. velutina. Usually this cultivated species is characterized and distinguished from another cultivated species, L. Thunbergii, by the persistent short hairs on its upper leaf surface. Nearly glabrous forms or sparsely pubescent forms are also sometimes found.

Cv.Japonica

Desmodium racemosum (non DC.) Sieb. et Zucc. var. albiflorum Sieb. ex Miq. in Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 48 (1867), in nota sub L. cyrtobotrya Miq. et Prol. Fl. Jap. 236 (1867).

L. bicolor (non Turcz.) Maxim. α. typica Maxim. in Acta Hort. Petrop. 2: 355 (1873), pro parte, quoad specim. "Colitur circa templa Nagasaki floribus candidis."

L. bicolor Turcz. var. intermedia Maxim. f. albiflora Matsum. in Bot. Mag. Tokyo 16: 69 (1902).

L. bicolor Turcz. var. albiflora Maxim. in sched. ex Schneid., Ill. Handb. Laubholz. 2: 113 (1907), pro syn.

L. Sieboldii Miq. var. albiflora (Maxim. in sched. ex Schneid.) Schneid., Ill. Handb. Laubholz. 2: 113 (1907)-Makino & Nemoto, Fl. Jap., 736 (1925).

L. formosa (Vogel) Koehne var. albiflora Schindl. in Engl., Bot. Jahrb, 49: 582 (1913).

L. bicolor Turcz. var. alba Bean, Trees Shrubs Brit. Isl. 2: 16 (1914).

L. japonica L. H. Bailey var. albiflora (Sieb. ex Miq.) Nakai, Lesp. Jap. Korea, 25 (1927) excl. quoad specim. Nakai 5576.

L. inabensis Nakai in Journ. Jap. Bot. 15: 531 (1939).

L. penduliflora (Oudem.) Nakai var. albiflora (Sieb. ex Miq.) Ohwi in Journ. Jap. Bot. 26: 234 (1951).

L. bicolor Turcz. f. alba (Bean) Ohwi in Bull. Nat. Sci. Mus. Tokyo 33: 77 (1953).

L. Thunbergii (DC.) Nakai var. albiflora (Maxim. in sched. ex Schneid.) Ohwi f. albiflora, Fl. Jap. rev. ed., (790) 1438 (1965); Fl. Jap. new ed., 790 (1975).

L. Thunbergii (DC.) Nakai cv. Albiflora, Fl. Jap. Eng. ed., 559 (1965).

L. formosa (Vog.) Koehne f. albiflora (Sieb. in sched. ex Miq.) Hatusima in Mem. Fac. Agr, Kagoshima Univ. 6: 8 (1967).

L. Thunbergii (DC.) Nakai var. acutifolia (Nakai) Hiyama ex Murata f. leucantha Murata in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 29: 105 (1978).

Japanese name. Shirobanahagi (Nakai, 1927), Shirahagi (Hort., Yokoyama, 1775).

Corolla white. Widely cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Representative specimens.

U.S.A. PHILADELPHIA. Meeban (Bailey, 26 Sept. 1899, BH-Holotype and isotypes of L. japonica L. H. Bailey). MASS. Northampton (Canning, 27 Sept. 1899, BH).

Japan. (Buerger s.n., L 998.118-1080 left). TOTTORI. Tottori-shi, cultivated (Nakada 27, TI-Holotype of L. inabensis Nakai). TOKUSHIMA. Katsuura-gun, Kamikatsu-cho, Jigan-ji, cultivated (Kato 53, KYO-Holotype of L. Thunbergii (DC.) Nakai var. aculifolia (Nakai) Hiyama ex Murata f. leucantha Murata).

White-flowered Lespedeza was cultivated in gardens and many names were described under different species as varieties or forms. L. inabensis was distinguished from L. japonica by Nakai (1939) based on the glabrous upper surface of leaves. Because the hairiness of the upper surface of leaves is variable, it falls into the synonymy of L. japonica.

Cv. Nipponica

L. nipponica Nakai, Lesp. Jap. Korea, 10 (1927)-Kitamura & Murata, Col. Ill. Herb. Pl. Jap. 2: 99 (1961), pro parte, excl. var. satsumensis (Nakai) Murata et L. kiusiana Nakai, L. japonica L. H. Bailey var. angustifolia Nakai, var. gracilis Nakai, var. retusa Nakai in syn.

L. bicolor (non Turcz.) Hook. f. in Bot. Mag. 153: t. 6602 (1882), pro parte, excl. L. bicolor Turcz. in syn. cit.

L. liukiuensis Hatusima in Mem. Fac. Agr. Kagoshima Univ. 6: 12 (1967).

Japanese name. Nishikihagi (Nakai, 1927).

Corolla red-purple. Widely cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Representative specimens.

Japan Cultivated in the Botanical Gardens Koishikawa, University of Tokyo, Tokyo (unknown collector, 25 Sept. 1879, TI-Holotype of L. nipponica Nakai); Cultivated in the Botanical Gardens, Nikko, University of Tokyo, Tochigi Pref. (Ohba & Akiyama 1042, TI) OKINAWA. Nago-machi, cultivated (Amano 7018, KAG-Holotype of L. liukiuensis Hatusima); Naturalized on open wayside near Yagachi (Hatusima 17963, KAG).

L. nipponica is described based on a cultivated stock in the Botanical Gardens, University of Tokyo, which is now lost, and white-flowered L. japonica is also described on a cultivated stock in the U.S.A. These two, now cultivated widely in Japan, are similar to each other. Putative hybrids between L. nipponica and other species, such as L. homoloba and L. bicolor, are sometimes cultivated, but morphologically are difficult to clearly distinguish from L. nipponica, because flowers change their forms transitionally. It is uncertain whether the type of L. nipponica is of hybrid origin or not. Although the variation of L. formosa is wide and L. nipponica and L. japonica can be found in its variation range, we would like to treat L. nipponica and L. japonica as cultivated species including these hybrids and L. formosa as native species.

Cv. Versicolor: Murata in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 29: 100 (1978)-Ohashi in Satake et al., Wild. Fl. Jap. Herb. 2:205 (1982).

L. japonica L. H. Bailey var. versicolor Nakai in Bot. Mag, Tokyo 45: 121 (1939).

L. penduliflora (Oudem.) Nakai var. albiflora (Sieb. ex Miq.) Ohwi f. versicolor (Nakai) Ohwi, Fl. Jap., 679 (1953), nom. nud.

L. Thunbergii (DC.) Nakai var. albiflora (Sieb. ex Miq.) Ohwi f. versicolor (Nakai) Ohwi, Fl. Jap. rev. ed., 790 (1965), nom. nud.

L. Thunbergii (DC.) Nakai cv. Versicolor: Ohui, Fl. Jap. Eng. ed., 559 (1965).

L. formosa (Vog.) Koehne f. versicolor (Nakai) Hatusima in Mem. Fac. Agr. Kagoshima Univ. 6: 8 (1967).

Japanese name. Somewakehagi (Nakai, 1939), Sasahagi (Hort., Yokoyama, 1775).

Corolla white with or without red-purple patches and red-purple with or without white patches in a plant. Cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Representative specimen.

Japan. HONSHU. Kanagawa Pref., Hakone, Sokokura (cult.) (Nakai, 5 Oct. 1930, TI- Holotype of L. japonica L. H. Bailey var. versicolor Nakai).

Cv. Hiratsukae

L. Hiratsukae Nakai in Journ. Jap. Bot. 14: 637 (1938).

Japanese name. Hime-nishikihagi (Nakai, 1938).

Standard white with purple base, wings whitish purple or purplish red, keel-petals white. Rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Specimen examined.

Japan. Cultivated in Tottori (Hiratsuka, 10 Sept. 1937, TI-Holotype of L. Hiratsukae Nakai).

This is considered to be a hybrid between L. japonica cv. Nipponica and L. Buergeri, because it has flowers similar to those of L. Buergeri although somewhat lighter in color and the shape of leaflets is also similar to that of L. Buergeri.