沙梨木 sha li mu

Capparis magna Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 1: 33. 1790; Crateva lophosperma Kurz; C. nurvala Buchanan-Hamilton.

Trees [or shrubs] [2-]4-20 m tall, to 20 cm d.b.h. Twigs grayish brown, smooth or verrucose, with ± circular lenticels. Petiole (2-)5-12 cm, adaxially with several pale glands toward rachis; petiolules 2-6(-8) mm; leaflet blades ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 7-18 × 3-8 cm, 2.5-4.5 × as long as wide, papery to thinly leathery, abaxially dusty gray, adaxially brownish green and glossy, midvein pale red, secondary veins (7-)10-15(-22) on each side of midvein, reticulate veins obvious, apex acuminate to long acuminate. Inflorescences corymbose racemes, (3-)20-30(-40)-flowered, subtended by several leaves, axis (2-)3-5(-11) cm; peduncle 4-6(-12) cm but 12-28 cm after anthesis. Pedicel 3-4(-6) cm. Sepals lanceolate, 3-5(-10) × 1.2-1.5 mm. Petals white, claw (3-)5-10 mm, blade 1.5-2.5 cm with an abruptly acuminate apex. Stamens 11-17; filaments 2.5-5 cm; anthers 2-3 mm. Gynophore (3.5-)4-6 cm; ovary oblong-ellipsoid, terete, 5-6 × ca. 2 mm. Fruit oblong-ellipsoid to oblong-ovate, 2.5-5 cm, after drying with a thin yellow gray crust that falls off to reveal a smooth subsurface; stipe 1-3 mm wide. Seeds 30-50 per fruit, dark brown, 6-15 × 6-10 × 2-3 mm, slightly flattened, dorsally irregularly crested. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Aug-Sep.

Open forests, often along streams and lakes; below 1000 m. Guangdong (Xinyi), Guangxi (Longzhou), Hainan, S Xizang, Yunnan (Hekou, Mengla) [Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka].

In India, the young fruit is eaten, and the leaves and root bark are used medicinally.