Euonymus ternifolius Hand.-Mazz.

There are only a few collections available for this species, and the type has the only flower. The type was collected between Yen Yuen (Yanyuan, Sichuan) and Yungning (Ningliang, Yunnan), from the Sichuan side, according to Handel-Mazzetti’s description and the type record. The leaves appear clustered on the young twigs, and the flowers larger than the other small Euonymus species; the pale yellow flower color is also distinct.

Deciduous dwarf shrubs, ca. 1 m tall, much branched; branches and twigs gray, terete, sturdy. Petiole very short or sessile; leaf blade thickly papery, oblong-linear, 1.8-2.3 × ca. 3 mm, base subattenuate, margin subentire, minutely crenulate, apex obtuse; lateral veins invisible. Peduncle few from upper branches, typically several flowered; pedicel 5-10 mm. Flowers 4-merous, 9-10 mm in diam.; sepals semiorbicular; petals pale yellow, suborbicular. Capsule not seen. Fl. May-Jun, fr. unknown.

Sichuan.

● Forests, scrub; 2800-3000 m.