Hamilton's Spindletree

Grows in the outer Himalayan ranges in mixed forests.

This is one of the most common species in the genus. Growing in large populations, it can be found throughout the distribution area. It is undoubtedly similar to Euonymus europaeus Linnaeus, but they are quite distinct in their distributions.

A small tree up to 10 m tall, bark thick, corky, pale-grey. Leaves variable, 1.8-11.5 x 0.8-2.5 cm, oblong or ovate-lanceolate, finely serrate, membranous, glabrous, dull green, not shining; petiole 0.5-1 cm long. Cymes dichotomous, axillary or below the leaves; peduncles c. 7 flowered. Flowers c. 7 mm in diameter, greenish-white. Sepals 4. Petals 4, 5-7 mm long, lanceolate to oblong, obtuse, margins revolute. Stamens as long or shorter than the petals. Capsule turbinate, 0.7-1 cm broad, deeply 3-4-lobed, yellow. Seeds 1-2 in each cell, enclosed in a scarlet aril.

Deciduous shrubs to small trees, 3-20 m tall, to 25 cm d.b.h.; branches and twigs terete, sturdy, green to light green. Petiole sturdy, 9-20 mm; leaf blade thinly leathery or thickly papery, elliptic, or sometimes ovate-elliptic, 11-13(-15) × 3-5(-7) cm, base attenuate, margin finely crenulate, surfaces rough, apex acuminate; lateral veins 6-9 pairs, curving forward, webbing and disappearing before reaching margin. Peduncle 3-4.5 cm, 1-3 × dichotomously branched, several flowered; pedicel 5-7 mm. Flowers 4-merous, 9-10 mm in diam.; sepals ovate; petals white, lanceolate or long ovate, apex acuminate or obtuse. Capsule rhombic, with 4 angles and deep grooves, brown or yellow-brown to red-brown, ca. 8 mm × 1-1.3 cm. Seeds ellipsoid, dark brown; aril orange-red. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Aug-Nov.

Afghanistan, Himalaya (Kashmir to Bhutan), Khasia, Manipur, N. Burma.

Distribution: Afghanistan, temperate Himalayas in Pakistan and India, China and Japan from 2-3000 m.

Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, SE Xizang (Zayü), Yunnan, Zhejiang [Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Japan, Kashmir, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia (?Sakhalin), Thailand].

700-2600 m

Fl. Per.: March-May.

Forests, woodlands; near sea level to 3000 m.

Euonymus bodinieri H. Léveillé; E. darrisii H. Léveillé; E. hamiltonianus f. lanceifolius (Loesener) C. Y. Cheng ex Q. H. Chen; E. hamiltonianus var. pubinervius S. Z. Qu & Y. H. He; E. lanceifolius Loesener; E. rugosus H. Léveillé; E. yedoensis Koehne var. koehneanus Loesener.