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Arborway Boston, MA 2-500 visit us online at arboretum.harvard.edu NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ARNOLD ARBORETUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY In our Collection Viburnum carlesii Kathryn Richardson, Curatorial Assistant Kyle Port Wouter Hagens A s a curatorial assistant, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is interacting with scientists from around the world, assisting them with their projects, and sharing the vast amounts of information we maintain for each plant in the living collections. The exceptionally detailed nature of these data is one of the primary reasons why the Arboretum is a premier destination for the study of temperate woody plants. By way of example, two recent research projects have utilized the same plant, Viburnum carlesii (AA#17981-2*A). The first—a Brown University Study, Evolution of Viburnum leaves, stems, and phenology— aims to understand viburnum evolution by focusing on leaf and stem anatomy and physiology, including photosynthetic rates and movement of water through the leaves. The second project, a Yale University study entitled Fruiting phenology of Lonicera and Viburnum, centers on investigating changes in fruit color throughout maturation to shed light on the evolution of fruit developmental traits of these closely-related genera. The specimen used in both of these studies began as a cutting taken from a historical accession of V. carlesii (AA#17981*A) in 1922. The Arboretum received the parent plant in 1911 from Vicary Gibbs (1853-1932), an English barrister and member of the House of Commons also remembered for his horticultural work. Famed Arboretum propagator William Judd used this very plant to develop the hybrid Judd viburnum, Viburnum × juddii. This younger plant, a vegetative propagule from the parent of a novel hybrid, continues to contribute to science. The records associated with it are enhanced as researchers visit the Arboretum to study various aspects of its evolution, form, and function. A plant’s story and value expand beyond its individual collection history to include its use by scholars and its citation in scientific papers and presentations. At left, spring flowers of Koreanspice viburnum are among the most fragrant in its genus. These give way to red to black fruits (above), providing late-season interest with its reddish fall foliage. Commonly known as Koreanspice viburnum or Mayflower viburnum, V. carlesii is one of the few viburnum species with pleasingly fragrant flowers. From late April to early May, dense hemispherical cymes bloom against a dark green backdrop of emerging leaves. Beautiful pink to reddish buds open to reveal white flowers which emit a spicy vanilla scent, and give way to red to black, egg-shaped fruits amid its reddish fall foliage. e