山榄 shan lan

Sersalisia obovata R. Brown, Prodr. 530. 1810; Sideroxylon ferrugineum Hooker & Arnott; Pouteria obovata (R. Brown) Baehni.

Shrubs or trees, to 40 m tall but usually shorter. Bark brown. Branchlets angulate, rust colored sericeous to tomentose when young, glabrescent. Leaves scattered; petiole 0.5--5 cm; leaf blade obovate to lanceolate, 6--24 X 1.5--15 cm, membranous, papery, or leathery, abaxially rust colored, blackish tomentose, or sericeous but glabrescent, adaxially shining and glabrous, base narrowly to broadly cuneate, apex rounded to acuminate, lateral veins 7--18 pairs. Flowers female or bisexual, green to white, several in axillary clusters, 5- or 6-merous. Pedicels 2--10 mm, rust colored and white tomentose. Sepals 5(or 6), rounded or broadly ovate, 2--3 X 2--3 mm, outside white, yellow, or rust colored tomentose, inside glabrous, margin membranous, ciliate, or fimbriate. Corolla campanulate, 3--5 mm; lobes 5, broadly ovate to oblong. Stamens 2.5--3.5 mm, sometimes absent or abortive; staminodes lanceolate to triangular, sometimes absent. Ovary conical to obovoid, rust colored hirsute, 5--10-locular. Style conical, 1.5--2 mm, 5-ribbed. Fruit white, yellow, red, or blue when fresh, obovoid to globose, 1--1.5 X 1--1.5 cm; pericarp membranous, glabrous; 1--5-seeded. Seeds oblique fusiform, 8--12 X 2--3.5 mm, yellow; scar narrowly elliptic. Fr. Oct-Dec.

Thickets; low elevations. Hainan, Taiwan [Australia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan (Bonin and Ryukyu Islands), New Guinea, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam]

Wood reddish brown, hard and thick; leaves used medicinally.