盒果藤

Perennial twining vines.Stems up to 10+ meters long, 2-5-pronged, latex-laden, narrow-winged, tomentose throughout, purple-red. Leaves simple, alternate

烏柑仔

Evergreen shrubs up to 5 meters tall and 5-10 centimeters in diameter with gray-brown or slightly black trunks Leaves solitary, alternate, long elliptic or obovate-elliptic

盒果藤

Scientific name :Operculina turpethum

Chinese common name :紫翅藤、燈籠牽牛、松筋藤、紅薯藤

Family:芸香科(Rutaceae)烏柑屬(Severinia)

morphology:

Stem: Stem up to 10+ meters long, 2-5-pronged, latex-laden, narrow-winged, tomentose throughout, purplish red

Leaves: simple, alternate, triangular-ovate or ovate, 5-15 centimeters long, 3-12 centimeters wide, acuminate at the apex.Base cordate, stalk 3-7 centimeters long

Flowers: corolla white, funnel-shaped, 5-lobed; stamens 5, filaments linear; flowering November to May.

Fruit: Capsule purple-brown, oblate, enveloped by persistent calyx, turning tan when mature, containing 4 seeds.

How does this plant adapt to an aquatic environment:Seeds can float on water.

Native and current geographical distributions:

Native distributions:Tropical East Africa Mascarene Islands Sierras, Tropical Asia to Tropical Oceaniatrong

current geographical distributions:Guangdong, Western Guangxi, Southern Yunnan, Taiwan

Ecology:Grows at low altitudes (below 500 meters) in sunny places along streams and valleys, where it can spread by sea currents.

Others : It can be made into Chinese medicine and has a spicy and bitter taste.

烏柑仔

Scientific name :Severinia buxifolia

Chinese common name :山柑仔、烏柑、東風橘

Family:芸香科(Rutaceae)烏柑屬(Severinia)

morphology:

Stem:Evergreen shrubs, up to 5 meters tall, 5~10 centimeters in diameter, with very low branches; gray-brown or slightly black trunk; branchlets are hairy when young, but the hairs soon fall off and become smooth.

Leaves: solitary, alternate, long elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 3.5-4 centimeters long, 1.5-2 centimeters wide, apex blunt and concave, base blunt or slightly narrow, leathery or thickly leathery

Flowers:Flowers solitary or at least a few, white, sessile or subsessile, 1-1.2 cm in diameter when open, slightly fragrant, clustered

Fruit: Fruit a berry, subglobose, slightly compressed

How does this plant adapt to an aquatic environment:Has not adapted to aquatic environments, but can adapt over time to the increasing sunlight of summer.

Native and current geographical distributions:

Native distributions: India, China, Japan, Philippines & South China Peninsula, Taiwan

current geographical distributions:Produced in Taiwan in the West, South and Lantau Islands.

Ecology:Growing in mountainous broadleaf forests at an altitude of less than 800 meters requires sufficient sunlight.Pollination by bees or butterflies.Fruits can be eaten by animals and then spread seeds

Others:1.Stems can be used for delicate carving,2.Fruit edible, rind with bitter taste