Also known as Bitter Chinese Date, it is a member of the Menispermaceae Family, with the Latin name ofEleutharrhena macrocarpa.
It is a kind of woody climber, with a few fluffs on twigs. The keratinous leaves, ovoid or oval, can usually stretch 9.5 to 22 centimeters long. The male inflorescence borne in axillary region of deciduous leaves bears 1 to 3 fascicled flowers, each of which has 6 petals and 6 stamens. The infructescences are borne on the top of the old leafless branches. The oval drupes, 2.5 to 3 centimeters long, with a diameter of 1.7 to 2.5 centimeters, turn orange when ripened. The oval seeds are 1.5 to 1.7 centimeters long.
It grows in edges of seasonal rain forests in low mountain trenches 620 meters above sea level. It prefers yellow earth with thick organic layers, which develop from purple sandstone. It bears fruits from February to March.
At present there are only a few individuals found inJinghongof Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, and only one of them is fructiferous. It is a mono-species out of mono-genus in China; therefore active and effective measures should be taken to protect them.
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