Chionanthus

Chionanthus (/ˌkaɪoʊˈnænθəs/), common name: fringetrees, is a genus of about 140 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae.

The genus has a wide distribution primarily in the tropics and subtropics, but with three species extending north into temperate regions, one (C. retusus) in eastern Asia and two (C. virginicus and C. henryae) in eastern North America.

Some botanists restrict Chionanthus to the deciduous, temperate species, treating the evergreen species in a separate genus Linociera, but apart from leaf persistence, there is no other consistent difference between them.

The flowers are produced in feathery panicles, with a corolla subdivided into four slender lobes; they are white, pale yellow, or tinged pink.

[2] As of January 2024[update], Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:[1]

Chionanthus virginicus flowers
Chionanthus pubescens
Chionanthus retusus flowers