Axillary mombin
Plants of the genus Choerospondias of Anacardiaceae. There is only one species of this genus, which is wild in low to medium altitude sparse forests in southwest China and south China. India and Japan are also distributed. Deciduous tree, with a height of 7 ~13m, thick, hairless branchlets, purple-black branches, punctate lenticels and reddish brown. Odd pinnate compound leaves, 20 ~ 25 cm long, leaf axis slightly hairy; Leaflets 7 ~15, opposite, papery, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 6 ~10 cm long, 2 ~ 4 cm wide, tapering at the apex and skewed at the base. There are three kinds of heterozygous flowers: male flowers, infertile hermaphroditic flowers and female flowers. Male flowers and infertile hermaphroditic flowers are planted on panicles, with inflorescence length of 4 ~12 cm, small flowers, diameter of 0.3 ~ 0.4 cm and petals of lavender. Female flowers are larger, solitary in the axils of the upper branches, with pedicels. The drupe is ovoid, 2 ~ 2.5 cm long,1.4 ~ 2 cm in diameter, with rounded ends (Figure 4-7). This species has strong adaptability and fast growth, and can be propagated by seeds, bearing fruit in 6 ~ 8 years. The plant morphology of Zizyphus jujuba Mill is similar to that of Zizyphus jujuba Mill in Lingnan, but Zizyphus jujuba Mill has black branches, dark green leaves, more veins, larger fruits, larger seeds, oval shape and five holes at the top. The fruit is sweet and can be eaten fresh or made into wine. Choerospondias axillaris tastes sour and cold, and has the function of promoting digestion and treating abdominal pain caused by food stagnation. Sugar mixed with five-eyed fruit and boiled eggs with southern dates are all medicinal diets. Bark can be used as medicine. According to the introduction, the second bark of trunk can be coated with water and scalded with oil, which has the effects of cooling blood and detoxifying, stopping bleeding and relieving itching.
Figure 4-7 Choerospondias axillaris
1. Leaf 2. Fruit
(painted by Xu Xiaolin)