Help identifying a shrub

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by JJcat, Jun 25, 2006.

  1. JJcat

    JJcat Member

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    hello,

    could someone help identify what type of shrub this is? i have not much luck scanning the shrub databases. the plant is very round in shape and we only have it pruned once a year. the leaves are soft and the plant is dense. the leaves are silvery green in color. I've attached a close-up shot of the leaves (cat in background)

    thanks!
     

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  2. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    could be a Feijoa (recalssified to Acca I think)
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    It's a mockorange (Pittosporum).
     
  4. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Other way round! What used to be Acca is now Feijoa. One could say Feijoa a.k.a. Acca . . . .
     
  5. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Thanks Micheal, I was happy to remember that there was something about it that had been changed. what do you think of the picture here, any input on the id?
     
  6. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    RHS Horticultural Database still gives Feijoa as a synonym of Acca, as it has for some time. International Plant Names Index lists them as

    Feijoa sellowiana (O. Berg) O. Berg [published 1859]

    Acca sellowiana (O. Berg) Burret [published 1941]

    so it would appear Burret replaced the earlier Feijoa s. with Acca s. in 1941.
     
  7. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    hahaha. k, now I am confused! guess if I use both names it should be ok for now..
     
  8. pierrot

    pierrot Active Member 10 Years

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    in this case if the name Feijoa was validly published then it should be the name we use as it is the older one. no?
     
  9. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Don't know what Burret's argument was or more recent views are, just that Acca started appearing as correct name several years ago in references that were using Feijoa before then.
     
  10. newtoplants

    newtoplants Member

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    Jjcats,

    I am just very curious, what is the black thing behind the plant? (lol, it looks like a human head to me) Daniel, sorry for a reply that's not related to the query, I can't help to ask. Thanks.
     
  11. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    JJcat mentions it is a cat in the background - no problem re: the slightly off-topic question.
     
  12. David in L A

    David in L A Active Member 10 Years

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    The genus was named in 1856 and contained the species Acca domingensis. Feijoa was named in 1858 but the first species, F.sellowiana, wasn't named until the following year. Burret lumped Feijoa into Acca.
     
  13. pierrot

    pierrot Active Member 10 Years

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    David

    Thank you for clearing the names up.
     
  14. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Thanks for the clarification! Looks like my books are out of date.
     

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