Species: Michelia alba

English Name: White Jade Orchid Tree

Chinese Name: 白蘭丶白玉蘭

Family: Magnoliaceae

Description:

Evergreen tree, up to 17m tall; bark grey; young twigs and buds densely covered with pale yellowish white hairs. Stipular scars nearly reached middle of petioles. Petioles 1.5 -2 cm, sparsely puberulous. Leaves long-elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, 10-27 x 4-9.5 cm. thinly leathery, base cuneate, apex long acuminate or caudate-acuminate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely puberulous, reticulations of veins very conspicuous on both surfaces when dry. Flowers white, very fragrant, tepals 10, lanceolate, 3-4 x 0.3-0.5 cm; connectives exserted and forming a long tip; gynoecium puberulous, gynoecium stalk ca. 4 mm, carpels numerous,... Read more »

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;... Read more »

Species: Cassytha filiformis

English Name: Cassytha

Chinese Name: 無根藤

Family: Lauraceae

Description:

Stem green-brown, filiform, slightly woody, rusty pubescent when young but sparsely pubescent or glabrous when mature. Leaves reduced to minute scales. Spike ca. 2.5 cm, densely rusty pubescent; bracts and bracteoles brown, minute, broadly ovate, ca. 1 mm, ciliate. Flowers white, small, less than 2 mm, sessile. Perianth lobes 6, in 2 series, outer 3 small, orbicular, ciliate, inner 3 larger, ovate, all pubescent outside, subglabrous inside. Fertile stamens 9; filaments of 1st whorl subpetaloid, those of 2nd and 3rd whorls filiform, of 3rd whorl each with 2 stalkless glands, others glandless;... Read more »

Species: Peperomia obtusifolia 

English Name:  Pepper Face; Baby Rubber Plant

Chinese Name: 鈍葉豆瓣綠

Family: Piperaceae

Description:

Photos used under a Creative Commons license

Species: Polyalthia longifolia 

English Name: Weeping Polyalthia

Chinese Name: 垂枝暗羅

Family: Annonaceae

Description:

Trees to 20 m tall; trunk straight. Branches finely striate, minutely puberulent when young, soon glabrous. Petiole 5-10 mm; leaf blade ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 11-31 × 2.5-8 cm, stiffly membranous to thinly leathery, glabrous, abaxially pale, adaxially dark glossy green, secondary veins 18-24 on each side of midvein, reticulate veins raised on both surfaces, base cuneate, obtuse, or rounded, margin undulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, fasciculate and shortly pedunculate, racemose, or umbelliform and sessile, mostly many flowered; peduncle to 0.7-1.5 cm; rachis to 1 cm. Pedicel 2-4 cm; bracteole usually 1,... Read more »

Species: Uvaria macrophylla 

English Name: Small-fruited Uvaria

Chinese Name: 紫玉盤

Family: Annonaceae

Description:

Shrubs to 18 m tall, climbing, stellate pubescent throughout or stellate tomentose when young and glabrescent, hairs ferruginous in dried specimens. Petiole 5-10 mm; leaf blade obovate, oblong-obovate, elliptic, or broadly oblong, 9-30 × 3-15 cm, leathery, secondary veins 9-14(-22) on each side of midvein, abaxially elevated, and usually adaxially impressed when dry, base shallowly cordate, truncate, rounded, or rarely cuneate, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded and mostly apiculate. Inflorescences leaf-opposed or rarely extra-axillary, sometimes cymose, 1- or 2(or more)-flowered; bracts ovate to broadly elliptic, 4-7 mm. Flowers 2-3.8 cm in... Read more »