鄂柃 e ling

Trees to 4 m tall. Young branches grayish brown; current year branchlets brown, 4-ribbed, glabrous; terminal buds glabrous. Petiole ca. 1 mm, glabrous; leaf blade elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 3-4.5 × ca. 2 cm, leathery, abaxially pale green, adaxially green and shiny, both surfaces glabrous, midvein abaxially elevated and adaxially impressed, secondary veins 7 or 8 on each side of midvein and adaxially obscure to slightly raised, secondary and reticulate veins abaxially visible to slightly raised, base broadly cuneate, margin serrulate, apex abruptly shortly caudate and with an obtuse tip. Male flowers axillary, solitary or to 3 in a cluster; pedicel ca. 2 mm, glabrous; bracteoles orbicular, ca. 0.5 mm, apex mucronulate; sepals suborbicular, 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous, apex rounded and mucronate; stamens ca. 15; anthers locellate; pistillode glabrous. Female flowers and fruit not seen. Fl. Nov-Dec.

● Forests on mountain slopes; 1900-2000 m. W Hubei.