Scientific name: Callicarpa bodinieri 'Purple Pearl'
English name: Purple Bead
Family: Verbenaceae (Lemon Verbena Family)
Common Names: White Lice Tree, Purple Pearl
Distribution: Eastern China, Central South, and Southwest Provinces
Morphological Characteristics:
The Purple Bead plant typically grows to a height of 1.2 to 2 meters, with slender branchlets and inconspicuous lenticels. The leaves are usually ovate-lanceolate, measuring 4–10 cm in length and 1.5–3 cm in width. They have an acute apex, narrowly cuneate base, serrated margins, and fine hairs on both sides of the veins. A red glandular surface is visible on the underside of the leaves. The petioles are 2–8 mm long.
The branchlets are smooth, slightly purplish-red, and covered with sparse stellate hairs. Leaves are opposite, obovate to elliptic, ranging from 7 to 15 cm in length, with an acute apex and sparsely serrulate margins. The inflorescences are axillary, with a common stalk, and most flowers bloom during this period. The buds appear in shades of purple or pink, while the flowers are white, pink, or light purple, blooming from June to July. The fruits are spherical, turning deep purple from September to October, shiny, and remain on the plant throughout the winter.
Growth Habits:
This plant prefers warm, moist, and sunny environments. It is not frost-tolerant, so in northern regions, it should be planted in sheltered, sunny spots. It is relatively easy to grow and requires regular watering during dry periods to avoid prolonged drought. The Purple Bead benefits from fertilization, so proper water and fertilizer management is essential. When planting in spring, enrich the soil with compost as a base fertilizer. After the leaves fall in autumn, apply mature compost around the roots and water thoroughly. In cold winters, some shoots may die back, but they can be pruned before spring growth begins without affecting the next year's flowering. Pruning should be done annually before spring sprouting to remove dead branches, old shoots, and remaining flower clusters, as well as to thin out dense growth.
Use Characteristics:
The Purple Bead is a beautiful ornamental plant, known for its attractive appearance, vibrant colors, and round, jewel-like fruits. It is an excellent choice for garden decoration and can also be grown in pots. The flowers can be cut and used as vase fillers or in floral arrangements. Traditionally, it has been used in folk medicine to treat conditions such as fever, thirst, dysentery, and itching. It was also used to manage symptoms like hematemesis, hemoptysis, hematochezia, uterine bleeding, and traumatic bleeding.
Main Varieties – Yellow-Haired Purple Bead:
This variety is a shrub that can reach up to 3 meters in height. The twigs and young parts are densely covered with yellow-brown hairs. The leaves are opposite, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, measuring 12 to 22 cm in length and 4 to 7 cm in width. The apex is acute, the base is obtusely cuneate, and the margins are serrated. The upper surface of the leaves is often hairy, while the lower surface is densely covered with yellow-brown hairs. There are 10 to 14 pairs of lateral veins, and the leaves are thick, with petioles 1 to 2 cm long.
The inflorescences are axillary, with a short stalk (1 to 2 cm) covered in long trichomes. The flowers are sessile and densely arranged at the top of the inflorescence. The trichomes are prominent, giving the flowers a velvety texture. The corolla is tubular with four lobes, fuchsia in color. The stamens are four in number, with longitudinally split anthers. The ovary is divided into four chambers. The drupes are spherical, about 1.5 mm in diameter, lavender in color, and hidden within the calyx. Flowering occurs from autumn through to the following spring.
This plant is commonly found in plains or mountainous areas. It is distributed in provinces such as Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan.
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