大萼木姜子 da e mu jiang zi

Litsea maclurei Merrill.

Evergreen trees, up to 20 m tall, ca. 60 cm d.b.h. Young branchlets covered with pubescence. Leaves alternate; petiole 1-1.6 cm; leaf blade elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 11-24 × 3-7.5 cm, glaucous and puberulent abaxially, glabrous adaxially, pinninerved, lateral veins 7 or 8 pairs, base cuneate, apex shortly acuminate or obtuse. Umbels few in cluster on short branchlets, axillary; short branchlets 2-3 mm, pubescent. Male flowers: pedicel pubescent; perianth segments 6, broadly ovate; fertile stamens 9; filaments sparsely pubescent or subglabrous, of 3rd whorls each with 2 small glands at base. Fruit ellipsoid, 2.5-3 × 1.7-2 cm, shiny and smooth, apex apiculate, purple-black at maturity, seated on thickly woody cupular perianth tube; perianth tube warty outside; fruiting pedicel ca. 3 mm, stout. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Feb-Mar or Sep.

Dense forests, streamsides; 400-2000 m. W Guangxi, Hainan, SE Yunnan [N Thailand, Vietnam].

This species has yellow-green hardwood, which is less fissile and not misshapen in a dried state. It is used for making furniture, joinery parts, pianos, etc.