Elaeocarpus howii Merr. & Chun

Trees evergreen, to 15 m tall. Bark gray-brown; branchlets robust, brown tomentose. Petiole robust, 2-5 cm, terete, brown tomentose, swollen at both ends; leaf blade adaxially shiny when dry, elliptic or oblong, 10-20 × 4-10 cm, leathery, abaxially brown tomentose, adaxially sparsely pubescent especially on veins, lateral veins 10-13 per side, prominently raised abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially, veinlets prominent abaxially, base rounded, margin nearly entire or inconspicuously denticulate, apex acute, caudate, acumen 5-10 mm. Racemes in axils in upper part of twigs, 5-10 cm; peduncles robust, brown tomentose. Pedicel 3-5 mm; bracts reniform, ca. 1 × 1.5 mm, pubescent, without persistent bracteoles. Flowers bisexual. Sepals 5, lanceolate, 5-6 mm, abaxially brown pubescent, adaxially puberulent. Petals 5, obovate, ca. as long as sepals, glabrous, laciniate in upper 1/2; segments ca. 20. Stamens 25-30, ca. 3 mm; anthers without appendages at apices. Disk 5-lobed, densely pubescent. Ovary 3-loculed, pubescent; style ca. 3 mm, glabrous at base. Drupe elliptic-ovoid, 3-4.5 × ca. 2 cm, brown tomentose; exocarp and mesocarp usually shrunk when dry; exocarp inconspicuous; endocarp bony, lacunose. Seed usually 1, black, 1-1.5 cm. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Oct-Feb.

Guangdong, Hainan, SE Yunnan.

● Evergreen forests; 1100-2200 m.