Lottah Nursery Tasmania, Australia
Syn: 'Spurge Flax'
Found growing wild around the Mediterranean region.
Scarcely recognizable as a daphne, gnidium is a deciduous species with the odd habit of minimal branching producing bare upright stems for most of its height of 1m. Pinching of terminal young growth is recommended to encourage branching of domestic specimens.
The diminutive flowers appear in late Summer in fascicles of 3 dozen or more and are creamy white with golden stamens maturing to brown, 8 mm across at the lobes. Perianth tube is around 5 mm long by 2 mm wide. There is no discernable fragrance.
Leaves of Daphne gnidium are sessile, lanceolate, around 25 long by 5 mm arising in a whorl at the tip of stems.
Fruit is reported to be red but they have yet to develop on our plants.
Species is included here mainly for completeness - we fail to see any ornamental value in this plant.
(click on thumbnails for larger images)
