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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #283328
Title: Description and history of Syringa oblata subsp. oblata 'Frank Meyer'

Author
item Lura, Stefan
item Pooler, Margaret
item Kirkbride, Joseph

Submitted to: Hanburyana
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/3/2013
Publication Date: 7/18/2013
Citation: Lura, S.B., Pooler, M.R., Kirkbride, J.H. 2013. Description and history of Syringa oblata subsp. oblata 'Frank Meyer'. Hanburyana. 7:37-40.

Interpretive Summary: Syringa oblata Lindl. was first collected in China in the 1850s by the British explorer Robert Fortune. The plant was described as being somewhat earlier blooming than S. vulgaris L., as well as possibly more tolerant to late spring frosts (Fiala, 1988). An accession of Syringa oblata subsp. oblata (PI 23031) collected in China by Frank Meyer in 1908was given the name ‘Frank Meyer’ by Father Fiala in 1988 because of its outstanding form and white flowers. This accession has been growing at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. and has been used in hybridizations to develop new varieties. According to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, a new cultivar name must be accompanied by a description or a reference to a previous description that consists of a word or words that indicate one or more recognizable characters of the cultivar or distinguish the new cultivar from a previously published. Here we describe the history of and designate a standard for Syringa oblata subsp. oblata ‘Frank Meyer’.

Technical Abstract: An accession of Syringa oblata subsp. oblata (PI 23031) collected in China by Frank Meyer in 1908was given the name ‘Frank Meyer’ by Father Fiala in 1988. To be established according to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, a new cultivar name must be accompanied by a description or a reference to a previous description that consists of a word or words that indicate one or more recognizable characters of the cultivar or distinguish the new cultivar from a previously published. Here we describe the history of and designate a standard for Syringa oblata subsp. oblata ‘Frank Meyer’. Syringa ‘Frank Meyer’ is a white-flowered selection that has performed well at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. The plant, or hybrids from it, was used in at least 17 crosses between the years of 1978 and 1993 that resulted in several advanced selections that are still planted in the research nursery. We have prepared flowering and fruiting herbarium specimens from the two plants at the U.S. National and designated here one of the flowering specimens as the standard for ‘Frank Meyer’.