Schisandra sphaerandra Stapf

Flowering from May to August; fruiting from August to October.

Schisandra sphaerandra is occurring in W Sichuan, N Yunnan of China.

Phylogenty of Schisandraceae was inferred from the chloroplast mat-K region and rpL16 intron region (Wang et al., 2006). The results showed that the Schisandraceae are monophyletic. Schisandra propinqua var. chinensis Oliva and Schisandra plena A. C. Smith were nested within Kadsura, which implies that the genera Kadsura and Schisandra are closely related. They might have originated from a common ancestor, but then evolved via different routes.

Plants glabrous throughout. Young branches lacking wings; leaf-bearing branches elongated. Petiole 0.6-3.3 cm; leaf blade obovate-elliptic, elliptic, or rarely ovate-elliptic, 3.5-8 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, papery to rarely subleathery, not glaucous, secondary veins 5-7 on each side of midvein, base cuneate to rarely broadly cuneate, margin denticulate to serrulate, apex shortly acuminate to acuminate. Flowers axillary to fugacious bracts at base of young shoots, solitary; peduncle 0.5-2.4 cm (staminate), 0.6-4.4 cm (pistillate). Tepals 5-9, white, yellowish, pink, crimson, dark red, or purplish, largest 6-12.5 mm long, 4-11 mm wide. Staminate flowers: stamens 22-42, pollen 3-colpate. Pistillate flowers: carpels 70-100; pseudostyle. Fruit peduncle 1.5-6.5 cm; torus 2.5-15 cm; apocarps scarlet to deep red, 6-12 mm long, 4-9 mm wide. Seed testa ± smooth.

Growing in mixed broad-leaved and coniferous forests, Picea and Abies forests; 2700-3600 m.

Schisandra sphaerandra is a horticultural plant and is used medicinally.