Vasilis Teodoridis:
Sabiaceae | Meliosma
18. Meliosma rigida Siebold & Zuccarini; Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 4(2): 153. 1845.
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Trees to 7 m tall; evergreen. Buds; young branches; abaxial midveins; and inflorescences ferruginous lanuginous; pilose; or tomentose; pubescence persistent after 2 or 3 years. Leaves simple; petiole 1.5-4 cm; leaf blade oblanceolate or narrowly obovate; 8-25 x 2.5-4.5 cm; leathery; abaxially ferruginous pubescent; sparsely pilose; or densely tomentose; adaxially glabrous except on midvein and lateral veins; lateral veins 9-18 pairs; base attenuate from 1/3 or 1/2 downward to base; margin coarsely serrate; sometimes entire; apex acuminate or caudate-acuminate. Panicle terminal; 10-30 cm; axis erect; triangular; branched 3 times. Pedicel ca. 2 mm. Flowers dense on tertiary branches; (2-)3-4 mm in diam. Sepals 4 or 5; ovate or suborbicular; 1-1.5 mm; pubescent at abaxial base; ciliate. Petals: 3 outer ones white or light yellow; suborbicular; 2-2.5 mm; 2 inner ones bifid to half at an acute angle; lobes acute; apex ciliate. Fertile stamens 1.2-1.5 mm. Ovary glabrous; style ca. 2 x as long as ovary. Drupe globose; 5-8 mm; endocarp oblique; convex; with scattered netlike strips; midrib slightly prominent. Fl. summer; fr. Sep-Oct.
Broad-leaved forests; mountain forests; below 1500 m. Fujian; Guangdong; Guangxi; Guizhou; Henan; Hubei; Hunan; Jiangxi; Taiwan; S Yunnan; Zhejiang [Japan; Laos; Philippines; S Vietnam].
The hard wood is used for walking sticks; and the seeds for oil.