Vasilis Teodoridis:
Aucubaceae | Aucuba
1. Aucuba chinensis Bentham; Fl. Hongk. 138. 1861.
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Trees or shrubs; 3–6(–12) m tall; branches green; dichotomous; stout; smooth. Petiole 2–4 cm; stout; smooth; leaf blade abaxially light green; adaxially deep green; elliptic to broadly elliptic; rarely obovate-elliptic or linear-lanceolate; 7–25 x 1.5–8 cm; leathery or thickly leathery; midvein raised abaxially; conspicuous adaxially; lateral veins 6–8(–10) pairs; sometimes emerging at right angle from midvein; base broadly cuneate or cuneate; slightly oblique; margin slightly revolute; often serrate or glandular dentate with 5–8 teeth; apex acute or cuspidate. Staminate inflorescences loosely paniculate; 5–13 cm; branches densely pubescent. Carpellate inflorescence shortly paniculate; shorter than staminate; 2.5–5 cm; branches densely pubescent. Staminate flowers: calyx 4-dentate; glabrous or sparsely pubescent; petals 4; green (in Feb); yellow; or purplish red; oblong or ovate; 3–4 x 2–2.5 mm; apex cuspidate; rolled outward; stamens 4; ca. 3 mm; surrounding disk; anthers yellow; locules 2; disk fleshy; slightly 4-angled; pedicel ca. 3 mm; pubescent; bracteole 1; lanceolate; ca. 3 mm. Carpellate flowers yellow green or yellowish; calyx and petals similar to staminate flowers; but apex of petals acute; ovary cylindrical; style stout; stigma capitate; slightly leaning to one side; disk fleshy; slightly 4-lobed; bracteoles at base of pedicel 2; lanceolate; 4–6 mm. Fruit bright red or dark red; cylindrical or ovoid; 1.4–1.8 cm; 8–10(–12) mm in diam. Fl. Jan–Feb; fr. Feb; often with fruit from preceding two years. 2n = 16.
Forests; 300–1000 m. Fujian; Guangdong; Guangxi; Guizhou; Hainan; Sichuan; Taiwan; Yunnan [Myanmar; N Vietnam].
1a. Aucuba chinensis var. chinensis
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Leaf blade elliptic or broadly elliptic; rarely obovate; 10–20 x 3–8 cm; leathery.
Broad-leaved evergreen forests; below 1000 m. Fujian; Guangdong; Guangxi; Guizhou; Hainan; Sichuan; Taiwan; Yunnan [Myanmar; N Vietnam].
Plants with the following features: flower ca. 1 cm in diam.; calyx cupular; petals ovate; abaxially glabrous; adaxially pulverulous-scurfy; leaves oblong; midvein sparsely strigose; margin glandular spinose; fruit oblong; ca. 1.2 cm in diam.; have been described as Aucuba grandiflora C. Y. Wu (Fl. Yunnan. 5: 760. 1991); but we retain them here under A. chinensis var. chinensis until the genus can be studied in more detail.