Euonymus nitidus Benth.

The leaves of this species are very variable and fruit growth can be dwarfed in poor growing conditions. It is clear that Euonymus oblongifolius is an extreme form of this species. Euonymus chengii, which was included in this species in the revision work of Euonymus (J. S. Ma, Thaiszia 11: 1-264. 2001), is now recognized after careful examination of new collections.

Evergreen shrubs to small trees, 2-10 m tall; branches gray-black to gray-brown, terete, sturdy, twigs greenish or yellow-greenish, striate. Petiole 5-8(-12) mm; leaf blade leathery to thickly papery, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 6.5-10(-15) × 3-4(-6) cm, base cuneate or acuminate, margin entire to crenulate, apex acute or acuminate, sometimes shortly caudate; lateral veins 7-9 pairs, not evident, slightly curving forward, redividing and disappearing before reaching margin. Peduncle typically many, 1.5-3.5 cm, 1-3(-4) × dichotomously branched with many flowers; pedicel 5-10 mm. Flowers 4-merous, 5-6 mm in diam.; sepals semiorbicular; petals whitish green, orbicular to obovate. Capsule tetra-globose, 4-angled, pinkish or reddish when fresh, brown or yellow-brown to red-brown when dry, (0.9-)1.5-1.7 × (1.2-)1.4-1.6 cm. Seeds ovoid, dark brown; aril orange. Fl. Mar-Jul, fr. Jul-Jan.

Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bangladesh, Cambodia, Japan, N Vietnam].

Forests and woodlands in lower mountains and valleys; 100-1500 m.

Euonymus chinensis Lindley var. nitidus (Bentham) Loesener; E. esquirolii H. Léveillé; E. flavescens Loesener; E. merrillii Chen H. Wang; E. merrillii var. longipetiolatus Chen H. Wang; E. nantoensis Loesener ex Handel-Mazzetti; E. oblongifolius Loesener & Rehder; E. uniflorus H. Léveillé & Vaniot.