Sarcococca hookeriana Baill., Monogr. Buxac. 53. 1859; Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 16(1): 13. 1869; Sealy in Hooker’s Icon. Pl. 35: t. 3470. 1947 & in Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 92: 151, f. 5. 1986; H.Hara in Enum. Fl. Pl. Nepal 3: 202. 1982. S. pruniformis var. hookeriana (Baill.) Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 267. 1887.

Undershrubs, ca 50 cm high or shrubs 1 - 2 m high; branchlets minutely grey or tawny pubescent. Leaves oblong to elliptic-lanceolate or narrowly oblong-elliptic, acute or cuneate at base, attenuate-acuminate or sometimes acute to apiculate at apex, (3- ) 4 - 8 (- 11) x (0.5 -) 1 – 2 (- 2.5) cm, thinly coriaceous or chartaceous, tawny puberulous on midrib above; lateral nerves 6 - 10 per side (the basal pair ascending one third way up the lamina); petioles 3 - 12 mm long, puberulous to glabrous. Inflorescences axillary, unisexual (the males 1 - 2 cm long, 3 - 8- flowered, the females 1 - 1.5 cm long, 1 - 4-flowered) or bisexual with 1 or 2 female flowers subtending the male flowers; rachis puberulous; bracts ovate, 2 - 4 x 1 - 2 mm. Male flowers: 6 - 8 mm long; pedicels 1 - 2 mm long; bracteoles absent or 1 or 2, inserted near the sepals; sepals 4, ovate-triangular, 3 - 4 x 2 - 2.3 mm, glabrous; filaments 4 - 7 mm long; anthers oblong, 2 - 3 mm long. Female flowers: 6 - 9 mm long; pedicels 3 - 6 mm long; bracteoles 3 - 5 pairs (the uppermost pair inserted close to the sepals and scarcely distinguishable from them), triangular, deltoidacuminate or linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 1.5 - 3 x 0.6 - 1.5 mm; sepals 4 (or 5), ovate-triangular, 2 - 3 x 1 - 2 mm; ovary ovoid, ca 2 x 1.5 mm; styles 3, 2.5 - 3.5 mm long, bilobed at apex. Fruits subglobose to ovoid-subglobose, 6 - 9 x 7 - 10 mm, unlobed or shallowly 3-lobed or 3-angled; seeds plano-convex, ca 5 x 4.5 mm, dark brown; fruiting pedicels 5 - 7 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. April-Oct.

Distrib. India: Scattered in subtropical to temperate forests, often along streams, between 1900 - 2900 (-3500) m altitudes. West Bengal and Sikkim.

Nepal, Bhutan and China (Tibet).

Uses. Wood hard, sometimes used to make walking sticks. Used as ornamental garden plant with fragrant flowers.

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