Ixora chinensis Lam.

Shrubs, 0.8-2 m tall; branches glabrous. Leaves opposite, sometimes apparently in whorls of 4 due to reduced stem internodes, sessile or petiolate; petiole to 5 mm, glabrous; blade drying leathery, oblanceolate, oblong-oblanceolate, obovate, elliptic-oblong, or lanceolate, 6-18 × 3-6 cm, glabrous on both surfaces, base cuneate to shortly truncate or rounded, apex obtuse or rounded to acute; secondary veins 7-9 pairs; stipules persistent, united around stem to almost interpetiolar, triangular to broadly triangular, 3-7 mm, glabrous to glabrescent, costate, acute and with arista 2-10 mm. Inflorescence terminal, congested-cymose to congested-corymbiform, many flowered, puberulent to hirtellous, subsessile to pedunculate; peduncle to 1.5 cm, often subtended by 2 reduced leaves or leaflike bracts; branched portion 1-4 × 1-5 cm (not including corollas); bracts triangular, 0.2-1 mm; pedicels to 2 mm. Flowers subsessile to pedicellate. Calyx glabrous; hypanthium obconic to ovoid, 1-1.5 mm; limb deeply lobed; lobes triangular to ligulate, 0.5-1 mm, acute or obtuse. Corolla red or reddish yellow, outside glabrous; tube 20-30 mm, glabrous in throat; lobes ovate, elliptic, or broadly elliptic, 5-7 × 4-5 mm, broadly obtuse to rounded. Drupe reddish black, subglobose and shallowly didymous, 6-7 × 6-7 mm, glabrous. Fl. May-Jul and Dec, fr. Sep-Oct.

A tropical plant. It can grow in the subtropics. It is native to southern China where it grows between 200-800 m above sea level. It is common on hillsides. It can grow in full sun or light shade. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Fresh flowers are gathered and boiled with pork for soup.

Plants are usually grown from cuttings. It can be grown from seeds.