厚皮香八角 hou pi xiang ba jiao

Trees to 12 m tall. Perules small, inconspicuous. Leaves in clusters of 3-5 at distal nodes; petiole 0.7-2 cm; leaf blade oblong-elliptic, oblanceolate, or narrowly obovate, 7-13 × 2-5 cm, leathery, midvein adaxially slightly impressed, secondary veins 6-9 on each side of midvein and inconspicuous, base broadly cuneate, apex acuminate to long acuminate. Flowers axillary or subterminal. Flower peduncle 0.7-3 cm. Tepals 10-14, red, broadly elliptic to suborbicular (largest), 7-12 × 7-12 mm (largest), papery to slightly fleshy. Stamens 22-30, 1.8-3.4 mm; filament lengths unknown; connectives truncate to slightly emarginate; anthers 0.7-1 mm; pollen grains trisyncolpate. Carpels 12-14, 2.5-4 mm; ovary 1.3-2.5 mm; style 1.1-2 mm. Fruit peduncle 2.5-4.5 cm. Fruit with 12-14 follicles; follicles 13-20 × 6-9 × 3-5 mm. Seeds 6-7 × 4-4.5 × 2-3 mm. Fl. Jan-Aug, fr. Apr-Nov. 2n = 28*.

● Forests, ravines, along rivers; 800-1700 m. Fujian, Hainan.

The fruit are poisonous.