Vasilis Teodoridis:
Lauraceae | Cryptocarya
2. Cryptocarya chinensis (Hance) Hemsley; J. Linn. Soc.; Bot. 26: 370. 1891.
??? hou ke gui
Beilschmiedia chinensis Hance; J. Bot. 20: 79. 1882.
Trees; up to 20 m tall; to 10 cm d.b.h. Bark dark gray; scabrid. Old branchlets robust; ± angled; brownish sparsely lenticellate; young branchlets terete; striate; grayish brown tomentose initially but soon glabrate. Leaves alternate or opposite; petiole ca. 1 cm; concave-convex; leaf blade glaucous abaxially; shiny adaxially; narrowly elliptic; 7-11 x (2-)3.5-5.5 cm; leathery; grayish brown tomentulose when young; gradually glabrate on both surfaces; triplinerved; midrib elevated abaxially; impressed adaxially; basal lateral veins opposite; arising 2-5 mm above leaf base; upper lateral veins 2 or 3 pairs and alternate; transverse veins slender; subundulate; veinlets reticulate; conspicuous on both surfaces; base broadly cuneate; apex long or shortly acuminate. Panicles axillary and terminal; 1.5-4 cm; yellow tomentulose; pedunculate. Pedicels very short; ca. 0.5 mm; yellow tomentulose. Flowers yellowish; ca. 3 mm. Perianth yellow tomentulose outside and inside; perianth tube turbinate; short; 1-1.5 mm; perianth lobes subobovate; ca. 2 mm; acute. Fertile stamens 9; ca. 1.5 mm in 1st and 2nd whorls; ca. 1.7 mm in 3rd whorl; filaments villous; slightly longer than anthers; those of 3rd whorl each with 2 clavate glands; others glandless; anthers 2-celled; cells of 1st and 2nd whorls introrse; those of 3rd whorl lateral-extrorse. Staminodes subulate-sagittate; villous. Ovary clavate; ca. 2 mm; style filiform; stigma inconspicuous. Fruit globose or oblate; 7.5-9 x 9-12 mm; purple-black when mature; 12-15-angulate. Fl. Apr-May; fr. Aug-Dec.
? Evergreen broad-leaved forests in shady valleys; 300-1100 m. Fujian; Guangdong; Guangxi; Hainan; Sichuan; Taiwan.
The wood is finely grained; easily cut; and is used for furniture.