Chinese Privet
| Chinese privet | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Oleaceae |
| Genus: | Ligustrum |
| Species: | L. sinense
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ligustrum sinense | |
Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet; syn. L. villosum; in Mandarin: 杻; pinyin: chǒu) is a species of privet native to China, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is also naturalized in Réunion, the Andaman Islands, Norfolk Island, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panamá and much of the eastern and southern United States (from Texas and Florida north to Kansas, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut).Ligustrum lucidum is sometimes also called "Chinese privet".
Ligustrum sinense is a deciduous shrub growing to 2–7 m tall, with densely hairy shoots. The leaves are opposite, 2–7 cm long and 1–3 cm broad, rarely larger, with an entire margin and a 2–8 mm petiole. The flowers are white, with a four-lobed corolla 3.5–5.5 mm long. The fruit is subglobose, 5–8 mm diameter.
The following varieties are accepted by the Flora of China:
- Ligustrum sinense var. sinense
- Ligustrum sinense var. concavum M.C.Chang
- Ligustrum sinense var. coryanum (W.W.Sm.) Hand.-Mazz.
- Ligustrum sinense var. dissimile S.J.Hao
- Ligustrum sinense var. luodianense M.C.Chang
- Ligustrum sinense var. myrianthum (Diels) Hoefker
- Ligustrum sinense var. opienense Y.C.Yang
- Ligustrum sinense var. rugosulum (W.W.Sm.) M.C.Chang