Sageretia gracilis J. R. Drumm. & Sprague

Together with Sageretia gracilis, S. compacta was described by Drummond and Sprague (Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1908: 15. 1908), based on specimens from Kunming, Yunnan, and was said to differ in having narrowly lanceolate leaves; inflorescences short, densely paniculate, with flowers crowded at the ends; and stamens equaling the petals. We checked specimens from this area, and except for the flowers being sometimes crowded at the ends, there were no other distinct differences.

Shrubs, erect or scandent, spinescent. Leaves alternate or subopposite; stipules subulate, 1-2 mm; petiole 5-14 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent; leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially slightly shiny and dark green or pale brown when dry, ovate, ovate-elliptic, or lanceolate, 4-11 × 1.5-4 cm, papery or nearly leathery, both surfaces glabrous, or young leaves sparsely tomentose, lateral veins 5-7 pairs, ± prominent abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially, base subrounded or cuneate, margin serrulate, apex acuminate or acute, rarely obtuse, often mucronulate. Flowers yellow-green, sessile, glabrous, usually 1-5-fascicled, lax or crowded, in more than 20 cm terminal or axillary spicate panicles; rachis glabrous or sparsely puberulent. Sepals triangular or triangular-ovate, 1.3-1.5 mm, adaxially keeled and hooded. Petals white, spatulate, ca. 0.8 mm, shorter than stamens, apex emarginate. Stamens shorter than sepals; anthers acute, mucronulate. Disk thick, fleshy, surrounding ovary. Ovary 2- or 3-loculed, with 1 ovule per locule; style short, stout; stigma entire. Drupe red when mature, obovoid-globose, 6-7 mm in diam. Seeds obliquely cordate, 5-6 mm. Fl. Jul-Oct, fr. Feb-May of following year.

W Guangxi, E and SE Xizang, Yunnan.

● Forests or thickets in valleys and on mountains; 1200-3400 m.

Sageretia apiculata C. K. Schneider; S. compacta J. R. Drummond & Sprague.