Salacia chinensis seed

Scandent shrub, 2-6 m high. Leaves simple, opposite, elliptic, ovate to obovate, 4-12 cm long by 2-7 cm wide; margin coarsely serrate. Inflorescence fascicle, axillary. Flowers yellowish-green, ca 8 mm wide; calyx minute, united at base; corolla 5, ovate; stamens 3; ovary small, triangular shaped. Fruit globose to ellipsoid, red or orange-red, 1-2 cm. seed 1

Usually about 3-6 cataphylls produced before the first true leaves. Stipules small and inconspicuous, about 0.5 mm long, deciduous. The second, third and fourth leaves produced usually have toothed margins but subsequent leaves have entire margins. Roots orange coloured. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade narrowly obovate-elliptic, apex acuminate and bluntly pointed, base attenuate. Margin with about 20 evenly distributed teeth. Midrib raised on the upper surface. Stems with pairs of ribs running from one leaf node to the one below. Stipules about 0.7 mm long, margins laciniate. Some roots orange-coloured.