Scientific Name : Ligustrum liukiuense Koidz.
Common Name : Formosa Privet
Chinese Name : 台灣女貞, 日本女貞, 琉球女貞
Family : OLEACEAE
Local distribution status : Native species
| Origin | Native to the mountains and forests at 1000 m to 3000 m above sea level in Ryukyu Islands, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. |
|---|---|
| Application |
Ligustrum sp. shows excellent resilience to pruning and air pollution. By virtue of these characteristics, L. sinense (Chinese Privet) is pervasively cultivated in parks and streets as solitary trees and fences, serving ornamental and phytoremediation purposes. In the contrary, Formosa Privet is just sporadically planted in parks and should be a potential alternative of Chinese Privet in respect of its native status to Hong Kong. Formosa Privet is valued for a host of functions. It shows profuse antioxidant components such as phenylpropanoids and flavonoids which can effectively clear heat and attenuate diarrhea. The seeds can be processed in tea after drying. Notably, the plant is fundamentally lethal and should be cautiously operated during processing it into food and medicines. Accidental ingestion of the fresh fruits can damage mucous membranes of organs and may cause death after 2 to 3 days. |
| Meanings of name | The specific epithet liukiuense denotes the tree is originated from the Ryukyu Islands. |
| Taxonomic confusion | The taxonomic status of Formosa Privet has been vague with its inconsistent morphology across geographic variations. Currently, L. liukiuense is the most accepted scientific name, noted as the rectified name of the published L. japonicum subsp. pubescens. Formosa Privet in China refers to L. amamianum that is currently renamed into L. japonicum. In a sense, since two are accepted scientifically accepted names, L. japonicum should then be treated as a distinct species from L. liukiuense. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen shrub or small tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 5 m. |
| Stem | Branchlets terete, first puberulent, glabrescent. |
| Leaves | Simple leaves opposite. Petioles grooved. Blade leathery, glabrous, ovate, base obtuse to acute, decurrent, apex short acuminate or obtuse, revolute, midrib impressed adaxially and raised abaxially, lateral veins 3-5, both surfaces with dense glandular dots. |
| Flower | Flowers bisexual. Panicles terminal. Flowers subsessile, white, stamens two, protruded. |
| Fruit | Ellipsoid, small, turning pale green to purple at maturity. |
| Flowering period | March to June in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | July to December in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=6342
Scientific names from other databases :
― Plants of the World Online : Ligustrum liukiuense Koidz.
― Flora of China : Ligustrum amamianum Koidzumi