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Styrax officinalis

species of plant

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 20, 2026
Entity authorityQ1281140
Source-derived summary

Styrax officinalis, commonly called the storax tree or snowdrop bush, is a species of shrub in the family Styracaceae.

Description

Styrax officinalis is a deciduous shrub reaching a height of 2–5 metres (7–16 ft). It has a simple, relaxed growth form with tight, dark bark on its basal stems. The very thin elliptical leaves are 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long by 3.5–5.5 cm (1+1⁄2–2 in) wide. They are alternate and widely spaced on thin, reddish stems, with a small, very light green, stalked axillary bud associated with each leaf.

The inflorescence is short and bears few flowers. The flowers themselves are axillary, bell-shaped, white, fragrant, and approximately 2 cm (1 in) long. The corolla features 5–7 petals surrounding many yellow anthers, and the calyx is 5-lobed. The flowering period extends from spring to summer (May–June).

Taxonomy

Three taxa formerly treated as subspecies—Styrax officinalis subsp.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Styrax officinalis” as species of plant. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Styrax, officinalis and species.

Editorial reviewA practical orientation to terminology and classification, particularly when read beside dated observations, specimens or technical literature. The current 144-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Styrax, officinalis and species providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Styrax officinalis”, the useful work is to connect “species of plant” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1281140. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

Critical limits

A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
Verify next

Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Styrax officinalis”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Styrax officinalis primary sources, Styrax officinalis archive and Styrax research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Styrax officinalis”?
  2. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
  3. Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Styrax officinalis” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.