Saturday 5 July 2008

Que es honeysuckle?


A few people know what is honeysuckle. For god sake it is a flower just like rose, lily or jasmine. Honeysuckles (Lonicera; syn. Caprifolium Mill.) are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle. Widely known species include Lonicera periclymenum (European Honeysuckle or Woodbine), Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle, White Honeysuckle, or Chinese Honeysuckle) and Lonicera sempervirens (Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle, or Woodbine Honeysuckle). Hummingbirds are attracted to these plants.



The leaves are opposite, simple oval, and from 1–10 cm long; most are deciduous but some are evergreen. Many of the species have sweetly-scented, bell-shaped flowers that produce a sweet, edible nectar. Breaking of the Honeysuckle's stem will release this powerful sweet odor. The fruit is a red, blue or black berry containing several seeds; in most species the berries are mildly poisonous, but a few (notably Lonicera caerulea) have edible berries.Honeysuckle flowers can be used to flavor wine, syrup, sorbet, and other sweet dishes. Some perfumes also have the scent of this flower as it is really nice sweet smell.

So, next time you come across the word honeysuckle, think of something sweet and nice. It may help to ease your mind.

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