About Sabia swinhoei Hemsl. ex Forbes & Hemsl.
Sabia swinhoei Hemsl. ex Forbes & Hemsl. is a climbing vine with long runners, and its entire plant has pubescence. Its stems reach 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft) in length and are often branched. It bears alternate elliptical leaves measuring 6 to 10 cm (2.4 to 3.9 in) long and 2 to 3.5 cm (0.79 to 1.38 in) wide, with an acute apex, ovate base, entire margins and a coriaceous texture. The adaxial leaf surface is green and conduplicate, with pubescence along the midrib; the abaxial leaf surface is lighter in color, cucullate, and pilose. Four lateral veins plus fine veins are present on each side of the leaf midrib. The petiole is 0.2 to 0.5 cm (0.079 to 0.197 in) long. The small flowers are arranged in 3-flowered axillary cymes, and measure 0.6 to 0.8 cm (0.24 to 0.31 in) in diameter when open. The pedicel is hairy, slender, approximately 2 to 3 cm (0.79 to 1.18 in) long, and bears 2 bracts at its center. The calyx has 5 imbricate ovate lobes, which are acute at the apex and hairy on the front surface. There are 5 opposite ovate hairy petals, with an acute apex and an acuminate back. The number of stamens matches the number of petals, and stamens have slender filaments. Anthers are sparsely hairy on the front. The disk is annular, with indistinct lobules. The ovary is bilocular, glabrous, and smooth. The fruit is a globose drupe, 0.8 to 0.9 cm (0.31 to 0.35 in) in diameter, that turns blue-black when mature. This species flowers from March to April and fruits from July to September. It is distributed in mountain forests of northern Taiwan, at altitudes between 400 and 2300 meters.
