Hance's Syzygium

Scientific Name : Syzygium hancei Merr. & L. M. Perry
Common Name : Hance's Syzygium
Chinese Name : 韓氏蒲桃、紅鱗蒲桃
Family : MYRTACEAE
Local distribution status : Native species

Anecdotes on plants

Origin Native to Hong Kong, it is also distributed in some provinces of South China, including Fujian, Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi; Southeast Asia and South Asia countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
Meanings of Name The generic name Syzygium is derived from the Greek word syzygos, which refers to its opposite leaf arrangement.
Vitality Hance's Syzygium is highly tolerant to wind, drought, and pests and diseases.
Ecology Usually grows in 100-800 m low-altitude open forests or secondary forests.
Application Fruits of Hance's Syzygium are small but they serve as a food source for wild animals including birds and Masked Palm Civets in local Fung Shui woods, sustaining local biodiversity.

Traits for identification

Growing Habit Shrub or evergreen tree.
Height To 20 m tall.
Stem Bark dark reddish brown, longitudinally splitting. Young branchlets terete, turn blackish brown when dry.
Leaves Leaves opposite; leaf blade leathery, oblong to narrowly elliptic or obovate, base broadly cuneate to narrow, apex obtuse to slightly acute, both surfaces dark brown when dry, not glossy and with many small impressed glands adaxially; lateral veins inconspicuous on both surfaces.
Flower Thyrses axillary, many-flowered. Flowers sessile, buds obovoid. Hypanthium obconic. Calyx-lobes inconspicuous. Petals 4, distinct. Stamens slightly shorter than petals. Style as long as petals.
Fruit Fruit globose, red to black.
Flowering Period July to September in Hong Kong.
Fruiting Period November to January in Hong Kong.
Overview of Syzygium hancei Merr. & L. M. Perry.
Bark dark reddish brown, longitudinally splitting. Young branchlets terete, turn blackish brown when dry.
Leaves opposite; leaf blade leathery, oblong to narrowly elliptic or obovate, base broadly cuneate to narrow, apex obtuse to slightly acute, both surfaces dark brown when dry, not glossy and with many small impressed glands adaxially; lateral veins inconspicuous on both surfaces.
Thyrses axillary, many-flowered. Flowers sessile, buds obovoid. Hypanthium obconic. Calyx-lobes inconspicuous. Petals 4, distinct. Stamens slightly shorter than petals. Style as long as petals.
Fruit globose.
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Remarks

Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website:

https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=7067

 

Scientific Names from Other Databases

―Flora of China: Syzygium hancei Merr. et Perry

―GBIF: Syzygium hancei Merr. & L.M.Perry

Reference
    1. Au, W. C., Yip, K. L., & Lai, P. (2008). Syzygium in Hong Kong. 香港的蒲桃. Hong Kong Herbarium, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. [Online Edition]. Retrieved 24th July 2022, from: https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/filemanager/leaflets/en/upload/3/23/17_en.pdf
    2. Dave's Garden. (2021). Syzygium. Davesgarden.com.  [Online Edition]. Retrieved 17th August 2023, from:https://davesgarden.com/sitewidesearch.php?q=Syzygium
    3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility.  (2022). Syzygium hancei Merr. & L.M.Perry US National Plant Germplasm System. [Online Edition]. Retrieved 17th September 2022, from:https://www.gbif.org/species/3182536
    4. Greening, Landscape & Tree Management Section Development Bureau. (2018). Syzygium hancei 韓氏蒲桃, 紅鱗蒲桃. [Online Edition]. Retrieved 14th September 2023, from:https://www.greening.gov.hk/filemanager/greening/en/content_95/Syz_han.pdf
    5. Hong Kong Herbarium, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. (2007-2011). Syzygium hancei Merr. & L. M. Perry 韓氏蒲桃（紅鱗蒲桃）. Flora of Hong Kong. [Online Edition]. Retrieved 11th November 2022, from: https://herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=7067
    6. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (2017). Heritiera littoralis Aiton. Plant of the World Online. [Online Edition].  Retrieved 19th October 2023, from: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:601757-1
    7. 中國科學院植物誌編輯委員會。（1959-2004）。〈红鳞蒲桃 Syzygium hancei Merr. et Perry〉。《中國植物誌》。[網上版本]。於2022年11月10日擷取自：https://www.iplant.cn/info/Syzygium%20hancei