Identification of the specie

Hello!

I got a bonsai on Christmas last year, but I don't know its specie. Could you help me with that?

[img=https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img23/2739/21102009155.jpg]

[img=https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img10/8387/21102009156r.jpg]

[img=https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img12/9884/21102009157.jpg]

[img=https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img194/6091/21102009158u.jpg]

I had not had any bonsai until then, so I didn't know nothing about it... Today, I don't know much more. I haven't cut must of it, and let it grow (it was a mistake, I know). But over the last 2 months, its appearence haven't inspired me much trust, he seems sick. The only thing I can do is put some water on it. I want to recover my bonsai, but first of all I have got to know its specie to provide the best treatment!

Thanks a lot!

Hi and welcome.
It looks like a Serissa to me.
Ken

It's not a serissa. That said, I don' know what is. Can you post a close up of a leaf, including a shot of the bottom of the leaf?

Its a Serissa foetida

Peter

I don't know what it is, but neither the bark nor the leaf looks like Serissa to me.

It does look a bit like a sparsely foliated, underpruned Serissa to me. And there are some yellow leaves. Does it drop leaves every time you move it to a new position? Try squashing a green stem and smelling it. Is it pleasant or nasty/foetid? A close up of leaves really would help though, as Michael says.

First of all, in English, the word you want is species, both singular & plural.
Next, there are things you should do, regardless of which species it is, since they apply to all of them. Get it out of that pot, spread out the roots, and plant it in a large, shallow training pot in coarse bonsai soil. Don't prune it now, until you get it healthier. Don't water it until the soil feels somewhat dry underneath. I assume you have been growing it indoors. Put it outdoors, first in the shade, then gradually into as much sun as it will stand. Fertilize with houseplant fertilizer as soon as you see new growth.
In Portugal, I assume you get a little freezing weather. At that point, bring the plant indoors. Cut way back on water & fertilizer until spring. Once the plant is healthy, send us a picture & the experts will tell you where to prune it.
Once the plant is outdoors in some sun and healthier, it may bloom, & then it will be easy to tell what it is.
If you have trouble reading this, we have members in Portugal & Brazil who can translate for you.
Iris

PS. I forgot, you might not know what a training pot is. It could be a bonsai pot, only bigger than what would look nice with this size tree. Or it could be a flower pot, but a very shallow one. If you can't find anything suitable, take an ordinary plastic pot & cut it down to half its height.
Iris

I think it looks like a pomegranete.

Dean

First of all, in English, the word you want is species, both singular & plural.

Technically correct and I almost sent the same message. However, I checked and all three of my dictionaries show "specie" as a "non-standard back-formation" use of species -- and marginally acceptable.

I think your right Dean. It is a Pomegranate

It still looks like a Serissa to me. I think that Iris has the right idea that it has been kept indoors and has become very weak and leggy.I took a picture of an unpruned Serissa that is in my yard and did a side by side pic with the tree that was posted, it looks the same to me only with limp branches from being inside.
Ken

First of all, thank you all for your help.

I'm not a specialist, but I think it is not a pomegranate... my bonsai had not had any flowers or fruits. It doesn't smell bad either, but I think it's a Serissa...
I will take your advices... I'll put it in a pot, buy some bonsai soil and pray that it works. The fertilizer is only allowed only when it begins to grow, isn't i?
In Portugal the sun is still shinnig and the temperature is 26ºC...

homemdaclasse wrote:It doesn't smell bad either, but I think it's a Serissa...

Could be. There are different strains of Serissa & some of them look like that. The advice I gave you will work for either Serissa or pomegranate, except eventually a pomegranate will need more sun.

homemdaclasse wrote: The fertilizer is only allowed when it begins to grow, isn't it?

You could feed it a very dilute solution when you repot. Then gradually increase when you see signs of growth. Don't be surprised if it loses a lot of leaves when you repot. Just hold off on the water.
Iris

It looks like it could be a variety of Ligustrum, eg common privet L. vulgare.
Privet is not a good indoor candidate in my opinion, but it is quite late in the season for major changes.