Spurges, Leaf-Flowers & Passionfruit - Malpighiales
Native / Non-native
Attorney Family - Clusiaceae
Lingnan Garcinia - Garcinia oblongifolia Common Garcinia - Garcinia subelliptica Spurge Family - Euphorbiaceae Redhot Cat Tail - Acalypha hispida Firetail Chenille Plant - Acalypha pendula Copper Leaf - Acalypha wilkesiana Christmas Bush - Alchornea trewioides Candlenut Tree - Aleurites moluccana Garden Croton - Codiaeum variegatum Joseph's Coat - Codieaum variegatum var. Mammi Hong Kong Croton - Croton hancei Garden Spurge - Euphorbia hirta Crown of Thorns - Euphorbia milii Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima Devil's Backbone - Euphorbia tithymaloides Thyme-Leaved Spurge - Euphorbia thymifolia Milky Mangrove - Excoecaria agallocha Red-Back - Excoecaria cochinchinensis Spicy Jatropha - Jatropha interregima Gout Stalk - Jatropha podagrica Elephant's Ear - Macaranga tanarius White-Back Leaf Mallotus - Mallotus apelta Hooker Mallotus - Mallotus hookerianus Turn-in-the-Wind - Mallotus paniculatus Metcalf's Tallow Tree - Neoshirakia japonica Castor Oil Plant - Ricinus communis Mountain Tallow - Sapium discolor Chinese Tallow - Sapium sebiferum Wood-Oil Tree - Vernicia montana |
St John's Wort Family - Hypericaceae
Yellow Cow Wood - Cratoxylum ligustrinum Japanese St. John's Wort - Hypericum japonicum Flax Family - Linaceae Yellow Flax - Reinwardtia indica Nance Family - Malpighiaceae Hiptage - Hiptage benghalensis Maiden's Jealousy - Tristellateia australasiae Ochna Family - Ochnaceae Mickey Mouse Plant - Ochna thomasiana Passionfruit Family - Passifloraceae King Snake Creeper - Passiflora cochinchinensis Purple Granadilla - Passiflora edulis Passion Flower - Passiflora vesicaria Triangular Passion Flower - Passiflora suberosa Perfumed Passion Fruit - Passiflora vitifolia Turnera - Turnera ulmifolia Leaf-Flower Family - Phyllanthaceae Aporusa - Aporosa dioica Autumn Maple - Bischofia javanica Waxy Leaf - Breynia fruticosa Popgun seed - Bridelia tomentosa Hairy-Fruited Abacus Plant - Glochidion eriocarpum Thick-Leaved Abacus Plant - Glochidion hirsutum |
Large-Leaved Abacus Plant - Glochidion lanceolarium
Abacus Plant - Glochidion puberum Wright's Abacus Plant - Glochidion wrightii Hong Kong Abacus Plant - Glochidion zeylanicum Tipsy Wood - Phyllanthus cochinchinensis Myrobalan - Phyllanthus emblica Reticulated Leaf-Flower - Phyllanthus reticulatus Mangroves - Rhizophoraceae Many-Petalled Mangrove - Bruguiera conjugata India Carallia - Carallia brachiata Water Pen Mangrove - Kandelia obovata Willow Family - Salicaceae Hairy-Leaved Casearia - Casearia velutina Cochin-China Homalium - Homalium cochinchinense Chinese Thorn Pear - Scolopia chinensis Kwangtung Thorn Pear - Scolopia saeva Violet Family - Violaceae Common Violet - Viola arcuata Wild Violet - Viola betonicifolia Long Sepal Violet - Viola inconspicua Spreading Violet - Viola diffusa |
Attorney Family - Clusiaceae
Lingnan Garcinia 嶺南山竹子, 黃牙果 Garcinia oblongifolia
A native tree that flowers in May. Monkeys eat the fruits. Evergreen, the fruits ripen in October. Also known as 'wild mangosteen'. In Chinese the name means 'fruit that causes yellow teeth'.
Common Garcinia 菲島福木 Garcinia subelliptica
Non-native to Hong Kong this ornamentally-planted tree is in the same family as the mangosteen and so therefore could be the food plant for the common archduke butterflies that have arrived in Hong Kong in recent years.
Spurge Family - Euphorbiaceae
Redhot Cat-tail 狗尾紅 Acalypha hispida
Originating in South-East Asia this ornamental shrub has long fluffy flowers. Found in parks and gardens.
Firetail Chenille Plant 紅穗鐵莧菜 Acalypha pendula
Copper Leaf 紅桑 Acalypha wilkesiana
Christmas Bush 紅背山麻桿 Alchornea trewioides
Candlenut Tree 石栗 Aleurites moluccana
Most likely originating in island SE Asia this tall, straight-trunked tree is widely planted along roads and in parks. The nuts can be used for their oil.
Garden Croton 變葉木 Codiaeum variegatum
A very common ornamental plant, found in almost every park in Hong Kong.
Joseph's Coat 螺旋葉變葉木 Codiaeum variegatum var. Mammi
Hong Kong Croton 香港巴豆 Croton hancei
Lost to botanists for over a century the Hong Kong Croton was re-discovered on Tsing Yi Island in 1997. It is endemic to Hong Kong as has never been found outside the territory. A shrub, about 2 metres height it grows under shade in dense forests. It was first discovered in the 1850s on Hong Kong Island by H. F. Hance, hence the Latin name croton hancei. (ref.)
Garden Spurge 飛揚草 Euphorbia hirta
Known as 'Dugdhika' in South Asia. The plant contains a milky fluid. The dried herb is acrid, bitter, a diuretic and is believed to be an aphrodisiac. An erect herb, with yellowish hair. Leaves in opposite pairs, darker on the upper side. Flowers, minute, white in clusters. Fruit small and hairy. An ingredient in 'ammanpacharisi' syrup: a home remedy for jaundice in Ayurveda.
Crown of Thorns 鐵海棠 Euphorbia milii
This thorny shrub is native to Madagascar, but grows commonly as an ornamental plant in Hong Kong. This is a tropical plant and does not tolerate temperatures below 10 degrees.
Poinsettia 聖誕花 Euphorbia pulcherrima
Thyme-Leaved Spurge 千根草 Euphorbia thymifolia
Devil's Backbone 紅雀珊瑚 Euphorbia tithymaloides
Milky Mangrove 海漆 Excoecaria agallocha
Red-Back 紅背桂 Excoecaria cochinchinensis
Spicy Jatropha 全緣葉麻瘋樹 Jatropha interregima
Originally from Cuba this shrub grows up to 5 metres tall. It is also known as 'peregrina'. Broken branches and leaves produce a poisonous milky latex. The flowers are a bright rose-red appearing in November to February. It's quite a common addition to Hong Kong's parks.
Gout Stalk 佛肚樹 Jatropha podagrica
From the tropical Americas, this plant is also called Guatemalan rhubarb.
Elephant's Ear 血桐 Macaranga tanarius
An extremely common small tree native to Hong Kong, SE Asia and northern Australia. It occurs with weed-like profusion, growing in woodland clearings but also scrappily holding on in the corners of scrapyards and on city slopes all over the territory. It produces small green flowers in the early summer and large, clearly veined leaves all year round. The shape of leaves has led to the name of the tree.
White-Back Leaf Mallotus 白背葉 Mallotus apelta
Hooker Mallotus 粗毛野桐 Mallotus hookerianus
Turn-in-the-Wind 白楸 Mallotus paniculatus
This tree has smallish almost triangular leaves that are white on the underside and green on the top. In a breeze they turn over readily, leading to the English common name. The fruits are small, white and spiky. Also known as 'panicled mallotus'.
Metcalf's Tallow Tree 斑籽烏桕 Neoshirakia japonica
Castor Oil Plant 蓖麻 Ricinus communis
Castor oil is made from the seeds/beans of this plant. The plant is native to Africa and India, but grows widely in tropical regions around the world. The seeds need to be boiled to remove a poisonous alkali before they can be used. The seeds, leaves and roots are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Mountain Tallow 山烏桕 Triadica cochinchinensis (used to be Sapium discolor)
Chinese Tallow 烏桕 Triadica sebifera (Used to be Sapium sebiferum)
Native to Hong Kong. Long, drooping yellow inflorescence from April to August. Fruit changes from green to black to three-segmented waxy white after rupturing. A deciduous tree with leaves turning to yellow or red before falling.
Wood-Oil Tree 木油樹 Vernicia montana
A deciduous tree, the flowers appear in spring. Large, maple-shaped leaves and a knobbly, veiny fruit from midsummer.
St John's Wort Family - Hypericaceae
Yellow Cow Wood 黃牛木 Cratoxylum ligustrinum
Yellow Cow Wood, despite the name, has small red flowers in April and May.
Japanese St John's Wort 田基黃 Hypericum japonicum
Flax Family - Linaceae
Yellow Flax 石海椒属 Reinwardtia indica
Nance Family - Malpighiaceae
Hiptage (Windmill Creeper) 風箏果 Hiptage benghalensis
Maiden's Jealousy 三星果 Tristellateia australasiae
Ochna Family - Ochnaceae
Mickey Mouse Plant 桂叶黄梅 Ochna thomasiana
Passionfruit Family - Passifloraceae
King Snake Creeper 蛇王藤 Passiflora cochinchinensis
Purple Granadilla 雞蛋果 Passiflora edulis
Passion Flower 龍珠果 Passiflora vesicaria (previously thought to be P. foetida)
Triangular Passion Flower 南美西番蓮 Passiflora suberosa
Perfumed Passion Fruit 南美西番蓮 Passiflora vitifolia
Native to Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, this vine produces large red flowers and small, green, sour fruits.
Turnera 黃時鐘花 Turnera ulmifolia
Leaf-Flower Family - Phyllanthaceae
Aporusa 銀柴 Aporosa dioica
A common native shrub or small tree, found in woodlands all over Hong Kong. The catkin-like flowers appear in the spring and the berries in the summer.
Autumn Maple 秋楓 Bischofia javanica
Waxy Leaf 黑面神 Breynia fruticosa
A small shrub, growing in scrubland or dryer forest areas. Flowering and fruiting occurs throughout the spring, summer and autumn. The fruits grow supported in a little cup made from the flower.
Pop-gun Seed 土蜜樹 Bridelia tomentosa
Also known as 'Pikpoktai' this small tree with 'whip-like' branches is native to Hong Kong.
Hairy-Fruited Abacus Plant 毛果算盤子 Glochidion eriocarpum
Thick-Leaved Abacus Plant 厚葉算盤子 Glochidion hirsutum
Large-Leaved Abacus Plant 艾膠算盤子 Glochidion lanceolarium
Abacus Plant 算盤子 Glochidion puberum
Wright's Abacus Plant 白背算盤子 Glochidion wrightii
Hong Kong Abacus Plant 香港算盤子 Glochidion zeylanicum
Tipsy Wood 越南葉下珠 Phyllanthus cochinchinensis
Myrobalan 餘甘子 Phyllanthus emblica
A small, deciduous tree, common in scrubland and dry woodland. Fruits resembling gooseberries.
Reticulated Leaf-Flower 小果葉下珠 Phyllanthus reticulatus
Also known as 'potato smell'.
Mangroves - Rhizophoraceae
Many-Petalled Mangrove 木欖 Bruguiera conjugata
Eight types of mangrove tree are found in Hong Kong. This species has large cigar-shaped droppers that fall from the parent tree, and float around in the water until anchoring somewhere else and growing into a new tree.
India Carallia 竹節樹 Carallia brachiata
Water Pen Mangrove 秋茄樹 Kandelia obovata
One of the eight species of mangrove in Hong Kong. This is perhaps the most common of all eight. The droppers are long and thin, like pens. It ranges from northern Vietnam east along the southern Chinese coast to Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
Willow Family - Salicaceae
Hairy-Leaved Casearia 毛嘉賜樹 Casearia velutina
A forest shrub, the yellow fruits appear in May.
Cochin-China Homalium 天料木 Homalium cochinchinense
A small, deciduous tree, flowering in spring and again in autumn. The flowers hang down in racemes.
Chinese Thorn Pear 刺柊 Scolopia chinensis
Kwangtung Thorn Pear 廣東刺柊 Scolopia saeva
Violet Family - Violaceae
Common Violet 堇菜 Viola arcuata
Leaves are a stubby spade shape, or a thick 'C'.
Wild Violet 戟葉堇菜 Viola betonicifolia
One of the five violets native to Hong Kong. It flowers from mid-winter to early spring. The flower is white to pale bluish-purple with deep purple lines and blotches. The leaves are pointed and spade-like. It is a small tufted plant that does not develop runners.
Long Sepal Violet 長萼堇菜 Viola inconspicua
Identifiable by having the longest, pointiest leaves of the violet species in Hong Kong.
Spreading Violet 蔓堇菜 Viola diffusa
Its leaves are rounded and thicker and furrier than the other violets.