红枝蒲桃 hong zhi pu tao

Shrubs or trees, to 13 m tall, d.b.h. to 18 cm. Branchlets red, brown when dry, terete, slightly compressed; old branches grayish brown. Petiole 7-9 mm; leaf blade elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 4-7 × 2.5-3.5 cm, leathery, abaxially slightly pale when dry, adaxially grayish brown to blackish brown and not glossy when dry, abaxially with numerous glands, adaxially with numerous small glands, secondary veins 2-3.5 mm apart, at an angle of ca. 50° from midvein, abaxially slightly raised, and adaxially inconspicuous, intramarginal veins 1-1.5 mm from margin, base broadly cuneate, apex abruptly acuminate and with a 5-10 mm obtuse acumen. Inflorescences axillary in axils apically on branches, cymes, 1-2 cm, usually with 5 or 6 branches. Flower buds ca. 3.5 mm. Hypanthium obconic, ca. 3 mm, apically flatted truncate. Calyx lobes inconspicuous. Petals white, coherent. Stamens 3-4 mm. Style slender, as long as stamens. Fruit black, ellipsoid-ovoid, 1.5-2 × ca. 1 cm. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Nov-Jan.

● Open to dense forests, valleys, hills, streamsides; 100-1000 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan.