Astilbe Distribution

Distribution
The main range of the species of Astilbe is located in East Asia from Japan to Indonesia, and west to the Himalaya and south to New Guinea. Only one species is native in eastern North America. It comes so naturally only in the northern hemisphere.

Most species are forest plants that grow in damp places like along streams or rivers.

System
The first publication of the genus Astilbe made in 1825 by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, David Don: Prodromus Florae nepalensis, p. 210-211. Type species Astilbe rivularis Buch.-Ham is. ex D. Don. A synonym for Astilbe Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don C. Morren & Decne Hoteia. The botanical name Astilbe comes from the Greek a-without and for stilbo shine, shimmer and refers to the fact that otherwise the leaves resemble those of Aruncus.
There are about 18-24 Astilbe species (selected):

* Apalachee domain, Astilbe (Astilbe biternata, Syn: Astilbe crenatiloba): It is the only American Art My range extends from the southern Appalachian mountains of Mingo County, about West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia to the Carolinas, Tennessee and northwestern Georgia .
* Chinese Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis (Maxim.) Franch. & Sav.): It grows in forests, at forest edges, meadows, valleys and along rivers and streams in high-altitude 400-3600 meters in Japan, Korea, Russia and the Chinese provinces Anhui, southeastern Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, southeastern Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang. It has thick, white to pink flower heads, the panicles are narrow ährenartig.
* Astilbe davidii with pink, thick and narrow panicles and bronze tinted young leaves. This species is often perceived as Astilbe chinensis davidii var.
* Astilbe glaberrima Nakai: It is an endemic plant of the Japanese island of Yakushima, and grows on rocks in mountain streams.
* Astilbe grandis Stapf ex EHWilson: It grows in woods, thickets and swamps at high altitude 400-2000 meters in Korea and the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang.
* Japanese Astilbe (Astilbe japonica (C. Morren & Decne.) A. Gray): It grows on rocks in mountain streams on the Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu.
* Astilbe longicarpa (Hayata) Hayata: It grows in low to medium altitudes in Taiwan.
* Astilbe macrocarpa Knoll: It grows in meadows and thickets in gullies at high altitude 500-1600 meters in the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Hunan, Zhejiang.
Astilbe * macro flora Hayata: It grows only in peak regions at altitudes 3200-3800 m in central Taiwan.
* Small-leaved Astilbe (Astilbe microphylla Knoll): This smaller species grows in damp, bright locations on the Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu.
* Astilbe philippinensis A. Henry
* Bach Astilbe (Astilbe rivularis Buch.-Ham. Ex D. Don): It is with a height of up to 2.5 m, the largest kind you because of its large, overhanging, creamy white flower heads also sometimes cultivated. The home of the varieties is Bhutan, northern India, Indonesia, Kashmir, Laos, northern Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam and the Chinese provinces of Xizang, Yunnan.
* Red Astilbe (Astilbe rubra Hook. F. & Thomson): It grows on forest margins at altitudes of about 2,400 meters in India and the Chinese provinces of Fujian, Hubei, southern Xizang, northwestern Yunnan.
* Einfachblättrige Astilbe (Astilbe simplicifolia Makino), a Japanese style with simple, serrated leaves.
* Thunbergii Astilbe (Astilbe thunbergii (Sieb. & Zucc.) Miq.): This Japanese way with some varieties was used as the parent of many varieties.

* Hybrid Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii Arends) is a group of hybrids in which, above all, Astilbe astilboides, A. chinensis, A. japonica, A. thunbergii are involved as parents.

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astilbe
See Also: Sending Flowers, Online Florist