Hosta 'Fused Veins'
 

Originally from Japan, this cultivar of unidentified parentage was registered by Dr. Ralph (Herb) Benedict of Michigan in 1983. It forms a small size, somewhat upright mound of twisted, wavy foliage that comes to a pointed tip. The medium lavender colored flowers bloom in very late August.

According to The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis (2009), "...appears to be the same plant as 'Hamada Contorted' and both come close to 'Koryu'...impressed with its odd, twisted foliage and "green-on-green" variegation."

Mikiko Lockwood in an article on The Hosta Library titled, A Little About Japanese Hosta Terms defines the term koryu or Kouryu as a raised ridge along the center of a leaf.

Nomenclature changes recommended in the 1991 book The Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid and accepted by The American Hosta Society would update names as follows: H. tortifrons is now H. 'Tortifrons' and H. tardiflora is H. 'Tardiflora'.

An article about Fall Bloomers by Herb Benedict and Jim Wilkins in The Hosta Journal (1991 Vol. 22 No. 1) states that, "Here are some of the fall blooming plants we grow...(listed in the order of bloom times in Michigan).

1) H. kikutii A medium size plant densely flowering with white blooms. The flowers are equally arranged around the central axis of the raceme so that the bloom scapes resembles a bottle brush or pony tail...We are growing two named varieties, 'Hirao-59' and 'Finlandia'.
2) H. 'Fall Bouquet' Small, green plant, leaves slightly undulated, lavender scape and blooms, floriferous.
3) H. longipes Small green plant, densely flowering with a tall stiff bloom scape. The flowers are lavender and the leaves are green.
4) H. gracillima Funnel-shaped, light lavender flowers. A miniature green plant, with shiny surface.
5) H. 'Iwa Soules' Iwa means rock, and this plant was imported by Marjorie Soules, from Japan. It is a small green plant with lavender flowers.
6) H. tortifrons In the same section (Picnolepis) as H. longipes and H. rupifraga. Distinctive small plant, with twisted green leaves and lavender flowers.
7) H. 'Fused Veins' Small, green leaves often with ¼ inch margin which is a lighter green. The lance shaped leaves are undulated and the veins come together regularly. The flowers are mauve and the scape is sometimes branched.
8) H. rupifraga Small, medium green, with thick, leathery, ovate leaves. Densely flowering with purple flowers. 'Urajiro', 'Grand Slam', 'Maruba Iwa'
9) H. tardiflora   This small hosta is the last to bloom for us. Its leaves are shiny, dark green and lance shaped. The flowers are light lavender and borne in abundance on 12 inch scapes.

An article about H. 'Koryu' by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (2001 Vol. 32 No. 2)  states that, "Tony (Avent) goes on to explain: "This very distinctive collector's plant, a H. longipes (selection or hybrid) which is highly coveted in Japan, was originally discovered by Dr. Shuichi Hirao. This is the same plant the Ralph "Herb" Benedict named H. 'Fused Veins', after not being able to determine the true identity."






   


Note:
This label clearly says Fused Veins, but the plant adjacent to it does not really fit the description of the cultivar.

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