Sinofranchetia chinensis Hemsl.

Young branches farinaceous. Winter bud outer scales large. Leaves crowded, usually fascicled; petiole 10--20 cm; lateral petiolules very short, terminal one 1--3 cm; leaflets papery, abaxially glaucous or grayish green, adaxially dark green, apex acuminate; secondary veins 6 or 7 pairs; lateral leaflets smaller than terminal one; terminal leaflet rhomboid-obovate, 9--15 × 7--12 cm, base cuneate. Raceme pendulous, 15--30 cm, clustered. Pedicel 2--3 mm. Sepals greenish white with purple stripes, obovate, ca. 2 mm, ca. 2.5 mm in female flowers. Male flowers: petals 6, fleshy, subobcordate, less than 1 mm. Filaments fleshy, free; anthers oblong. Pistillodes small. Female flowers: petals very minute. Staminodes similar to stamens in shape but smaller. Carpels ellipsoid to obovoid-oblong, 1.5--2 mm. Stigma inconspicuous. Infructescences pendulous; fruit pale purplish blue, ellipsoid, ca. 2 × 1.5 cm. Seeds ovoid, 4--6 mm; seed coat brown to grayish black. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Sep--Oct.

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in dense forests along rivers. It is recorded between 1,000-2,000 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan. It suits hardiness zone 6.

The ripe fruit are eaten. They are also used for wine and jelly.

Plants can be grown from fresh seeds. Cuttings of half ripe wood can also be used.