Bocconia frutescens L.

Small tree or shrub, or subherbaceous when young, the branchlets glabrous, frequently glaucous towards the tip; leaves very variable in size and shape, tending to be less lobate toward the tips of the twigs; petioles from almost obsolete in young leaves to several cm. long in older ones, glabrous or minutely papillose-pubescent especially above, canaliculate above, fleshy; blade more or less obovate in outline, up to 45 cm. long or longer and as much as 30 cm. wide, rounded or cuneate basally, acute apically, from subentire or moderately lobed in young leaves to pinnatisect in old leaves, the lobes usually obscurely dentate and acute, normally minutely papillose-pubescent and markedly reticulate below, subglabrous and darker above, the lateral veins prominent; inflorescence commonly 30 cm. long or longer, essentially glabrous; bracts linear-lanceolate, the lower ones as much as 2 or 3 cm. long, the bractlets about 5 mm. long; flowers many, relatively un-attractive; sepals 2, oblong-elliptic, about 1 cm. long, obtuse and abruptly short-acuminate, subglabrous; stamens 12 or more, the filaments very slender, about 3 mm. long, the anthers linear, 6-7 mm. long; ovary 3-4 mm. long, glabrous, the stipe 4-10 mm. long; style as much as 6 mm. long; stigma bilamellate, tomentulose above, the lamellae about 5 mm. long; fruit ellipsoidal, the locule in maturity about 1 cm. long, dehiscent as described for the genus.

Forms dense stands in dry habitats, where it is found at elevations from 300-1,000 metres. Moist thickets or forest, ascending from a little above sea level to about 2,800 metres.

Can be grown by seedlings.