Lonicera x italica Tausch (L. caprifolium x L. etrusca Santi) (Hort.) – A very rare escape from cultivation. Poorly known and much confused with Lonicera caprifolium. Records are available from Baudour (1890), Belvaux (1948), Bonneville (1884-1885), Korbeek-Lo (1864) and Stavelot (1899). All records are from woodland.
Lonicera x italica is still frequently cultivated (see Whitehouse 2012) but poorly known (see also Laros 1994). Although there are no records posterior to 1948 it is included in the present treatment to avoid further confusion with Lonicera caprifolium.
Selected literature
Bradshaw D. (1995) Know your honeysuckles. The Garden 120: 406-411.
Laros A.J. (1994) Lonicera x americana en Lonicera x italica. Dendroflora 31: 38-43.
Whitehouse C. (2012) Trial of climbing Lonicera (subgenus Lonicera). The Plantsman N.S. 11(1): 10-15.