Forsythia japonica
is a deciduous shrub endemic to limestone areas in the Chugoku
Region, growing to 1-2.5m tall. Leaves are of opposite phyllotaxis,
in the shape of a broad-oval, 7-12cm long, 4-6cm wide, apexes
abruptly tapering to points, bases circular, and margins sharply
serrated. Dioecious: Yellow flowers, 2.5cm across, bloom
simultaneously as the leaves develop. Corollas are cleft in 4, the
lobes narrow-oblong, about 12mm long, and 5-6mm wide. Sepals measure
2.5-3mm in length. Bloom time: April. |