Alchornea EUPHORBIACEAE Euphorbia 



8. Alchornea Sw. Dovewood [l|jft#ff (Shan Ma Kan Shu; 

 Mountain-fiber-pole Genus) 



Dioecious, rarely monoecious, pubescent trees or shrubs: Ivs. alternate, bright red 

 when young, often glandular at the base: fls. apetalous; the staminate in dense oblong 

 spikes; stamens 6 or more; the pistillate in loose racemes; style divided: ovary 2-4- 

 celled: fr. a dehiscent capsule: seeds solitary in each cell, without aril or waxy cover- 

 ing. About 30 species, tropical; 4 in China. (Spanish: alcomoque, the name of a 

 species of Alchornea used medicinally.) 



1. Alchornea davidii Franch. HHJaf (Kuei Yuan Shu; Osmanthus-ball Tree) (Chen 

 617). Shrub, to 3 m.; fls. V; lvs. serrate, red when young. Central China; locally 

 in Ki., Ku. Planted, ornamental. 



9. Sapium R. Br. MftlM (Wu Chiu Shu) 

 Monoecious deciduous glabrous trees or shrubs with latex: lvs. alternate, entire 

 (ours); petiole usually with 2 glands at the top: infl. terminal: fls. apetalous, the 

 staminate in 3's, the pistillate solitary, at the base of the infl.: stamens 2; style 

 undivided; ovary 1-3-celled: fr. a capsule with 1 seed in each cell. About 100 species, 

 tropical; 7 in China. (Latin: Sa-pium; classical name used by Pliny.) 



Key to the Species 



Lvs. ovate to lanceolate 4-15 cm. long: seeds at maturity not coated 



with white tallow. 



Petiole with 2 glands at junction with lamina; lamina light green 



beneath: capsule globose, about 8 mm. in diam.; seeds 4 mm. 



long, not mottled, attached lengthwise to the 3-winged column 



of the capsule , 1. S. discolor 



Petiole without 2 glands at the top; lamina dark green on both sides: 

 capsule strongly 3-lobed, 15-18 mm. broad; seeds 6-9 mm. long, 

 streaked with brown and dark purple at maturity, with narrow 



attachment 2. S. japonicum 



Lvs. rhombic-ovate, acuminate, 2.5-7 cm. broad, often as broad as 

 long; petiole with 2 glands at junction with lamina; lamina pale 

 green beneath: capsule 10-12 mm. long, globose to ellipsoid; seeds 

 about 7 mm. long, at maturity coated with white tallow 3. S. sebiferum 



1. Sapium discolor (Champ.) Muell.-Arg. {Stillingia discolor Champ.) (Be. F. 303). 

 Shrub or tree, to 15 m.; fls. yellow, V-VI; fr. VIII-IX. Southeastern Asia; locally 

 in An., Ki. Mountain forest. 



2. Sapium japonicum (S. & Z.) Pax & Hoffm. f^L* (Pai Ju Mu; White-milk Wood) 

 (Lee 713). Shrub, to 5 m.; fls. yellow, VI; fr. VII-VIII; seeds purple-streaked. 

 Japan, Korea, China; locally in An., Che., Ki., Ku. Mountain woodland. 



3. Sapium sebiferum (Linn.) Roxb. Candleberby Tree J§f|^ (Wu Chiu Shu; Black- 

 tallow Tree) (B.M. 620). Tree, to 15 m.; fls. yellow, VI; fr. VIII-X. China, 

 Japan; locally in An., Che., Ki., Ku. Woodland, planted, ornamental, wax. Fig. 

 208. 



10. Euphorbia Linn. Spubge j^MtM ( Ta Chi Shu) 

 Herbs or shrubs with latex and with siynple lvs.: infl. of several staminate fls. 



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