Image: Wikimedia Commons (See link for license)
Butterfly Bush
Buddleja japonica
フジウツギ
A deciduous shrub native to mountain valleys and rocky sites in Japan. In summer, it produces dense spikes of pale purple flowers. Commonly known as 'Butterfly Bush' for its strong attraction to butterflies. The related ornamental Buddleja species are widely cultivated.
Identification Points
- ✓Dense spikes of pale purple small flowers
- ✓Leaves opposite, with dense white woolly hairs on the undersides
- ✓Stems are square in cross-section
Habitat
Mountain valleys, rocky sites, and forest edges
Season
July–August (flowers)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Shrub
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Flower color
Purple
Habitat
Mountain
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Petal count
Many
Petal fusion
Free
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Superior
Phylogenetic Positionマチン科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Gentianales > Loganiaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (ca. 50 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Loganiaceae (in the broad sense of Scrophulariales) evolved floral morphology adapted for butterfly pollination. The nectar-rich sympetalous flowers are a classic example of psychophily (butterfly pollination).
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification