Flora of Israel: Lonicera etrusca

Lonicera etrusca, Italian Honeysuckle, Etruscan Honeysuckle,
Hebrew: יערה איטלקית, Arabic: عبهر

Scientific name:   Lonicera etrusca G.Santi
Common name:   Italian Honeysuckle, Etruscan Honeysuckle
Hebrew name:   יערה איטלקית
Arabic name:   عبهر
Family:   Caprifoliaceae, יערתיים


Life form:   Phanerophyte shrub, climber
Stems:   Twining vines, sometimes climbing to 600 cm, hollow twigs
Leaves:   Opposite, entire
Inflorescence:   Short dense terminal spike
Flowers:   Yellow, violet, tubular corolla 3–5 cm, strongly 2-lipped
Fruits / pods:   Berries, red rounded berry
Flowering:   April, May
Habitat:   Mediterranean maquis and forest
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:   Mediterranean
Summer shedding:   Perennating


Derivation of the botanical name:

Lonicera named for German herbalist Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586), by Linnaeus.

etrusca, from Tuscany, the classical Etruria, in Italy.
The Hebrew name: יערה, ya’ara, honeycomb (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Sam. I 14:27 ); related to Ethiopian wa’ar ( =honeycomb).

  • The standard author abbreviation G.Santi is used to indicate Giorgio Santi (1746 – 1822), an Italian physician and naturalist.