Daphne cneorum

Daphne cneorum, the garland flower or rose daphne, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae, commonly found in various pine forests across Europe. It is a prostrate spreading evergreen shrub to 20 cm, grown for its dense clusters of highly fragrant pink flowers in spring. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans. Two common diseases are known as daphne sudden death syndrome and daphne virus X.

The Latin specific epithet cneorum comes from Greek origins and means “like a small olive bush”.

Habitat
In the Boreal age, Daphne cneorum was predominantly found in pine forests, alongside other species such as Galium boreale and Rubus saxatilis. In more recent ages, this species is native to the mountains of central and southern Europe, including an area known as the Châtillonnais region and several parts of Ukraine. Within these regions, Daphne cneorum is commonly found in pine forest, oak-pine forest, and beech-pine forest habitats. Other species found in these habitats include Vaccinium myrtillus, Lycopodium annotinum, Pteridium aquilinum, Maianthemum bifolium and Trientalis europaea. Daphne cneorum is typically found in well-lit patches of rocky soil, the foundation of which is generally carbonate rock.

Diseases
In plant nurseries rose daphnes can be affected by various diseases. One of them is caused by the fungus Thielaviopsis basicola and is commonly known as daphne sudden death syndrome (DSDS). In this disease, dark colored lesions grow along the roots, soon followed by discoloration of leaves, stunted growth, fainting, and then in the two weeks after developing foliar symptoms, death.

One of the more common viruses affecting Daphne cneorum, and other species of the genus Daphne, is daphne virus X. It was discovered that in-vitro Daphne cneorum cultures can be used as a growing medium to detect if other plants are infected with the disease. This allows for faster identification of diseased plants, thus allowing for prevention of the spread to other plants within nurseries, gardens, etc.