Species: Michelia figo
English Name: Banana Shrub
Chinese Name: 含笑
Family: Magnoliaceae
Description:
Evergreen shrub, 2-3 m tall much branched; buds, young twigs. petioles and pedunclcs densely yellowish brown-tomemose. Stipular scars reached peliolc apex. Petiolcs 2-4 mm. Leaves narrowly elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 4- l0 x 1.8-4.5 cm, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, apex obtusely acute, adaxially glossy und glabrous. ubaxially covered with brown oppressed hairs on midvein, other parts glabrescent. Flowers erect. sweet fragrant: tepals 6, fleshy, thick, long-elliptic, 1.2-2.0 x 0.6-l.l cm. pale yellow, margin sometimes red or purple; stamens 7-8 mm, connectives exserted and forming a sharp tip; gynoecium glabrous, ca. 7 mm, exceeding androecium; gynoecium stalk ca. 6 mm, pale yellow tomentose. Aggregate fruit 2-3.5 cm, follicles ovoid or globose, apex beaked.
©2012 Forest and Kim Starr
Photos used under a Creative Commons license
References:
– Hong Kong Herbarium and South China Botanical Garden. (2008). Flora of Hong Kong, Volume 1. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong.