3. Aucuba confertiflora W. P. Fang & T. P. Soong, J. Sichuan Univ., Nat. Sci. Ed. 1982(1): 68. 1982.
密花桃叶珊瑚 mi hua tao ye shan hu
Trees, 2–4 m tall; branches brown or dark brown, glabrous. Petiole 2–2.5 cm, stout; leaf blade elliptic or oblong, 13–20 × 3–5.5 cm, thickly leathery, abaxially densely pubescent, midvein and lateral veins densely appressed hairy, other parts with short soft trichomes, adaxially glabrous, all veins conspicuously raised abaxially, midvein slightly impressed, and lateral veins and veins slightly raised adaxially, base cuneate, margin slightly revolute, with 5–11 teeth, apex acuminate. Staminate inflorescences paniculate, cylindrical, ca. 7 cm, densely flowered; peduncle densely pubescent with soft yellow trichomes. Carpellate inflorescences shortly paniculate, ca. 5 cm; peduncle and pedicels sparsely pubescent with thick trichomes. Staminate flowers green (in Feb); calyx lobes 4, triangular-ovate, pubescent; petals 4, dark purplish red, oblong, ca. 5 × 1.5–3 mm, apex shortly cuspidate; filaments ca. 3 mm, anthers ca. 1 mm; pedicel ca. 1 mm, densely pubescent with yellow soft trichomes. Carpellate flowers: calyx lobes 4, ± triangular, longer than in staminate flowers; petals not seen; ovary cylindrical, ca. 5 mm, sparsely pubescent; style and stigma ca. 1 mm; pedicel ca. 3 mm, densely pubescent. Fl. Feb–Mar, fr. not seen.
Forests; 1000–1600 m. SE Yunnan.