About Chionanthus ramiflorus Roxb.
Chionanthus ramiflorus Roxb. is an evergreen shrub or tree that can grow up to 23 meters (75 feet) tall. Its trunk and branches are pale, and leafy twigs are circular in cross-section. The glossy green leaves are typically elliptic to oblong-elliptic, measuring 8 to 20 cm (3.1 to 7.9 in) long and 4 to 7 cm (1.6 to 2.8 in) wide. Leaves attach to twigs via a petiole that can reach up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long, and have 7–10 lateral veins on each side of the midrib. The inflorescence is a panicle growing up to 12 cm (4.7 in) long, holding numerous small white or yellow flowers. Each flower has four petals that are about 2.5 mm (0.10 in) long. The fruit is a blue-black, ovoid drupe around 25 mm (1.0 in) long and 15 mm (0.6 in) in diameter. This species is native to regions matching the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions: South-Central China, Southeast China, Hainan, Taiwan (Eastern Asia); Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, West Himalaya (Indian Subcontinent); Andaman Islands, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Vietnam (Indo-China); Borneo, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Maluku, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatera (Malesia); New Guinea, Solomon Islands (Papuasia); and Queensland, Australia. It grows in evergreen or deciduous forests, including rainforest, monsoon forest, and littoral forest. Recorded altitudes for the species vary by location: from sea level up to around 600 m (2,000 ft) in Australia, up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in Thailand, up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in China, and between 400 and 500 m (1,300 and 1,600 ft) in Nepal. Ecologically, this plant's fruit is eaten by cassowaries, figbirds, koels, Torres Strait pigeons, and golden bowerbirds. Its leaves are eaten by Lumholtz's tree-kangaroos.
