Taxonomy
Kew treats Buxus hyrcana as a synonym of Buxus sempervirens.
HYRCANIAN UNDERSTOREY · BOTANICAL PROFILE
Hyrcanian boxwood
Buxus sempervirens · شمشاد هیرکانی
Evergreen shrub/treeHyrcanian name retainedTaxonomy updated
An evergreen boxwood of the Hyrcanian forest story. The familiar regional name remains useful, but the scientific label has changed in current taxonomic treatment.
Ecology.
Boxwood can form dense evergreen structure beneath or alongside taller forest trees, creating year-round cover and a different layer of forest architecture from the deciduous canopy above.
Habitat
Forest understorey and shaded woody structure.
Archive rule
Regional common names can remain while scientific names follow current taxonomy.
Archive meaning.
This page is also a demonstration of how Persian Wilds should work: when taxonomy changes, the archive changes with it rather than freezing an older label because it sounds more local.
Field note
The correction matters: ‘Buxus hyrcana’ is still a useful historical/regional name, but Kew's current backbone synonymises it under Buxus sempervirens.
Artwork note
The image on this page is an interpretive habitat or archive plate, not a diagnostic specimen photograph.
Verification
Taxonomy and conservation claims follow the archive's specialist-source hierarchy and should be read with the dated source record.