Styrax
(the ancient Greek name, used by Theophrastus, for the tree which produces Storax). Storax. SYNS. Cyrta, Foveolaria, Strigilia, Tremanthus. ORD. Styraceae. A genus comprising nearly sixty species of greenhouse or hardy, mostly lepidote, trees and shrubs, natives of the warmer parts of Asia and America, a few being found in temperate Asia and Europe. Flowers often white, disposed in axillary and terminal, short, loose, simple or slightly-branched racemes, often pendulous; calyx campanulate, minutely five-toothed or nearly entire; corolla segments or petals five, erecto-patent; stamens ten. Fruit globose or oblong; seeds, by abortion, one, or very rarely two. Leaves entire or serrated. S. Benzoin yields the resin called Benzoin; and S. officinale furnishes a balsamic resinous substance, known as Storax. The few species introduced are (except where otherwise stated) hardy, deciduous, white-flowered shrubs; they are very handsome subjects when in flower, and hence are highly suited for shrubberies. A light soil is most suitable. Propagation may be effected by layers, in spring or autumn.
S. americana (American). fl. solitary or in very few-flowered racemes, nodding; petals lanceolate-oblong, 1/3in. to nearly 1/2in. long. Summer. l. 1in. to 3in. long, bright green, commonly entire, oblong or oval, mostly acute at both ends, often acuminate. h. 4ft. to 8ft. North America.
S. Benzoin (Benzoin). fl. 1/2in. long; pedicels thrice as long as the flowers; racemes compound, axillary, rather shorter than the leaves, hoary-tomentose. Summer. fr. globose, indehiscent, seven lines broad. l. 4in. long, oblong, acuminate, white-tomentose beneath. Branchlets covered with rusty-white tomentum. Sumatra. Stove. (B. M. Pl. 169.)
S. californica (Californian). fl., pedicels with the calyx and corolla minutely canescent; style becoming 1in. long. fr. a bony seed, the size of a small cherry. l. oval, entire or sparingly undulate, 1in. to 2in. long, short-petioled. h. 5ft. to 8ft. California. A shrub with scurfy, stellular pubescence, at first hoary, sometimes soon green and glabrate. S. grandifolia (large-leaved).* fl. mostly in elongated racemes; corolla 1/3in. long, convolute-imbricate in bud. Spring. l. obovate, acute or pointed, 3in. to 6in. long, white-tomentose beneath. h. 6ft. North America, 1765. (L. B. C. 1016.)
S. japonica (Japanese). A form of S. serrulata virgata.
S. officinalis (officinal). fl., corolla often six or seven-parted; racemes shorter than the leaves, three to five-flowered. July. l. oval-obovate, 1 1/2in. to 2in. long, often rounded at apex, sub-acute at base, hoary-tomentose beneath. h. 10ft. Levant (naturalised in South-western Europe), 1597. (A. B. R. 631; Fl. Ment. 60; L. B. C. 928.)
S. pulverulenta (powdery). fl. 1/2in. long, one to three together in the axils and at the tips of the branches, fragrant. Spring. l. oval or obovate, about 1in. long, sparingly puberulous above, scurfy-tomentose beneath. h. 1ft. to 4ft. South United States, 1794.
S. serrulata (slightly serrated).* fl., corolla five or six-lobed, pubescent; racemes terminating the lateral branches, shorter than the leaves. Spring. l. oblong, acuminate, 2 1/2in. long, acute at base, serrulated, glabrescent. Branches, petioles, racemes, and calyces fulvous-tomentose. India to Japan. A shrub or tree, sometimes 40ft. high. (B. M. 5950.)
S. s. virgata (twiggy). l. tapering, acuminate, usually widest below the middle. S. japonica (R. G. 583; S. Z. F. J. 23) only differs from this variety in having somewhat pinkish-tinted buds, with a glabrescent calyx.