| English Name | Hong Kong Pencilwood |
|---|---|
| Status in China | Vulnerable (VU) |
Description:
Evergreen trees, up to 25 m high. Leaves imparipinnate or paripinnate, 20-40 cm long; leaflets 9-16, alternate or opposite, sub-leathery, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 5-27 cm long and 3-7 cm wide, more or less oblique at base, apex obtuse or broadly acuminate, rusty pubescent when young; petiolule 5-15 mm long. Panicle terminal or axillary, to 15 cm long, puberulent. Flowers white; calyx shallowly cup-shaped, 5 toothed, puberulent; petals 5, oblong, 5-6 mm long. Capsule subglobose, ca. 4 cm in diam.; seeds reniform with aril.
Distribution:
Victoria Peak, Mt. Parker, Cape D'Aguilar, Ma On Shan, Ng Tung Chai. Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan.
Habitat and Ecology:
In lowland broad-leaved evergreen forest. Flowering: May-July; fruiting: Oct. to Apr. of the following year.
The plant was first collected in 1903 from Mount Parker, Hong Kong Island. Its wood is of high quality, suitable for making furniture. Elsewhere, the species could be threatened by timber extraction. In Hong Kong, most localities of its occurrence are within Country Parks under protection.
References:
黃茂先，1991：廣東植物誌2：287。廣東科技出版社，廣州。
