台中鼠李 tai zhong shu li

Rhamnus arguta Maximowicz var. nakaharae Hayata, J. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo 25(19): 70. 1908 ["nakaharai"].

Shrubs dioecious, unarmed, glabrous. Branches alternate, spreading; young branches grayish, longitudinally fissured; older branches dark brown, scabrous, terminal buds with distinctly elongated, reddish, glabrous scales, to 2 cm. Stipules reddish, subulate-lanceolate, caducous; petiole ca. 1 cm, glabrous; leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially green, oblong-ovate or ovate-orbicular, (5-)7-10 × 3-5 cm, membranous or thinly papery, both surfaces glabrous, lateral veins 4-6 pairs, curved, slightly prominent abaxially, inconspicuous adaxially, base subrounded, rarely cuneate, margin crenate-serrate, apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate, rarely acute. Flowers yellow-green, unisexual, 4-merous, usually 5- or 6-fascicled in leaf axils, campanulate or narrowly campanulate, glabrous. Pedicels ca. 1 cm, slender. Sepals lanceolate, ca. 3 mm, with 3 veins. Male flowers: petals spatulate-oblanceolate, 1.5-2 mm; rudimentary ovary minute. Female flowers: petals rudimentary; stamens minute, ca. 0.5 mm; ovary globose; styles ca. 2 mm, 3- or 4-fid; stigma spreading, incurved. Drupe ellipsoid-globose, ca. 4 mm in diam., with 3 or 4 stones. Seeds brownish, obovoid, abaxially with whitish margined, narrow furrow extending over ca. 1/2 of seed length. Fl. Feb, fr. Feb-Nov.

● Forests on slopes; ca. 1300 m. Taiwan.