子楝树 zi lian shu

Eugenia gracilenta Hance, J. Bot. 23: 7. 1885; Decaspermum esquirolii (H. Léveillé) Hung T. Chang & R. H. Miao; E. esquirolii H. Léveillé; Syzygium gracilentum (Hance) Hu.

Shrubs or trees, to 4 m tall. Branchlets often 4-angled or narrowly 4-winged, sparsely sericeous. Petiole 2-5 mm, glabrous; leaf blade elliptic to ovate, rarely lanceolate or obovate, abaxially subglabrous, adaxially glossy green turning blackish when dry, secondary veins 5-9 on each side of midvein, ascending, abaxially faint, and adaxially raised, intramarginal veins 1-2 mm from margin, base cuneate to obtuse, apex acuminate with a 0.5-1 cm acumen. Inflorescences axillary or lateral below leaves, racemes or thyrses, to 6 cm; axes sparsely sericeous; bracts ovate, ca. 1 mm, caducous, each commonly with a pair of flowers or dichasia in axil. Flowers bisexual or staminate, 3-merous; bracteoles ovate, ca. 0.5 mm, caducous. Hypanthium campanulate to funnel-shaped, ca. 1 mm, sericeous. Calyx lobes 1-1.5 × 1-1.5 mm, unequal, sparsely pubescent, apex obtuse to truncate. Petals white, orbicular, ca. 3 mm, margin ciliate. Stamens ca. 4 mm. Ovary 3-loculed. Style ca. 4 mm; stigma peltate. Fruit black, globular, 3-5 mm in diam., 3-5-ribbed, sparsely pubescent. Seeds 3-5 per fruit, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. Mar-May.

Forests; low to middle elevations. Guangdong, Guangxi, S Guizhou, Hunan, Taiwan (Hengchun Peninsula, Lan Yu) [Vietnam].