Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) profile

Chinese privet, scientific name Ligustrum sinense, also known as Common Privet, Japanese Privet, belongs to the Luteoceridae family. Chinese privet is a semi-deciduous small tree, up to 6 m. Branches, leaves are below midvein, inflorescence rachis densely pubescent. Leaves are simple, opposite, papery, elliptic, ca. 5 x 2 cm, entire, petiole ca. 3 mm. 

Chinese privet picture

Morphological characteristics of Chinese privet

Branch

Chinese privet falls into leafy shrubs or small trees, generally about 2 meters high and up to 7 meters high. Branchlets are spreading, densely yellow pubescent.

Leaf

Chinese privet leaves are thin leathery, elliptic to elliptic oblong, 3-4.5 cm long, 1-1.8 cm wide, acute or obtuse at apex, rounded or broadly cuneate at base, surface dark green, abaxial surface pubescent only on midrib, midrib concave on surface, abaxial surface convex, lateral veins connected near leaf margin, petiole 3-6 mm long, pubescent.

Flowers

Chinese privet panicles loose, terminal, 6-10 cm long, pubescent; Flowers are white, pedicels fine, calyx campanulate, pilose, lobes linear, ca. 2 mm long, as long as calyx tube, corolla ca. 4 mm, leaves 4-lobed, lobes oblong, slightly longer than tube;Stamens 2, worn on crown tube, exerted.

Fruit

Drupe of Chinese privet is subglobose, ca. 4 mm in diameter, black.

The ecological habits of Chinese privet

Chinese privet is sensitive to soil moisture and poor growth in dry barren soil. 

Chinese privet is mostly born at the edge of the village, on the hillside or in the grass. Chinese privet has entered the ranks of bonsai trees and gradually gained people's favor. However, due to the relatively thin bark of Chinese privet, in the case of poor management and insufficient water supply, the tree stump or local water loss, the old branches are easy to die, resulting in the loss of bonsai branches.

Chinese Privet propagation

Chinese Privet propagates by sowing and cutting, sowing in late autumn and cutting in spring: the suitable period for transplantation is autumn or spring, and it needs to be transplanted with soil balls.

The distribution region of the Chinese privet

Chinese privet is only found in Xi 'an Botanical Garden on the north slope of Qinling Mountains.

Chinese Privet is distributed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and other provinces.

Chinese privet uses

Medicinal value

The fruit of Chinese Privet can be used to make wine, the seed can be used to make soap, and the stem bark fiber can be used to make artificial cotton. Medicinal, disturb infection, cough. Purple plant (Qifeng purple, Chinese privet) : Purple plant to treat blood, stop but not stasis, internal and external application, bleeding without worry.

Garden use

Chinese Privet is resistant to pruning and slow growing. Chinese privet has strong resistance to harmful gases, can be used for plant afforestation.Suitable for green Gracilaria, green wall and hidden shield as green screen, and can also be shaped long, short, square, round various geometric figures.