鸡骨常山 ji gu chang shan

Alstonia esquirolii H. Léveillé; Acronychia esquirolii H. Léveillé.

Shrubs erect, to 3 m tall. Branches conspicuously lenticellate, puberulent when young. Leaves in whorls of 3-5, petiolate; blade very narrowly obovate or oblong, 6-19 X 1.3-5 cm, thin papery, pubescent on both surfaces, apex acuminate; lateral veins 15-35 pairs, at 45° to midvein. Cymes puberulent; peduncle 0.5-2 cm. Pedicel to 8 mm. Corolla pink to red, tube 1-1.3 cm; lobes oblong, 2-6 mm, overlapping to left. Disc lobes 2, ligulate, as long as or longer than ovaries. Follicles distinct, linear, 3-5 cm X ca. 4 mm. Seeds oblong, ends with very short cilia. Fl. Mar-Jun, fr. Jun-Nov. 2n = 44*.

* Montane brush fields, 800-2400 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan

The roots are used to cure hypertension and the leaves to treat hemostasis and fracture. The seeds yield up to 18% industrial oil.