Sarcococca saligna (D.Don) Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 16(1): 11. 1869. Buxus saligna D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 63. 1825. Sarcococca pruniformis var. angustifolia Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 12: sub t. 1012. 1826. S. pruniformis auct. non Lindl., 1826: Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 266. 1887, p.p.

Shrubs, 1 - 2 m high, entirely glabrous. Leaves lanceolate, narrowly lanceolate-oblong to linear-lanceolate, cuneate or acute at base, attenuate-caudate at apex, (3 -) 6 – 11 (- 15) x 1 – 2 (-2.5) cm, chartaceous to thinly coriaceous; lateral nerves 6 - 14 per side (the basal pair ascending to 50 - 70% way up the lamina); petioles 3 - 15 mm long. Inflorescences axillary, bisexual (usually in the distal axils), 1 - 2 cm long, with 1 - 4 female flowers at basal nodes and 3 - 8 male flowers crowded towards apices of the axis or unisexual (usually in the proximal axils), up to 1 cm long, with 1 - 4 female flowers or rarely consisting of solely male flowers; bracts triangular to broadly ovate, 1 - 2 x 0.7 - 1.5 mm; pedicels absent or very minute. Male flowers: subsessile, 2-bracteolate or ebracteolate; bracteoles ovate, 1.5 - 2 x 0.7 - 1.2 mm; sepals 4, the outer broadly ovate to triangular, 2 - 3 x 1 - 2 mm, the inner ovate-oblong, 2.5 - 3.5 x 1.5 - 2.3 mm; filaments 4 - 8 mm long; anthers oblong, 1.5 - 2 mm long. Female flowers: 4 - 6 mm long; bracteoles (3 -) 4 or 5 (- 6) pairs, imbricate, triangular to broadly ovate, 1 - 1.5 x 0.7 - 1 mm; sepals (4 -) 5 or 6, triangular to ovatetriangular, 1.5 - 2.5 x 0.8 - 1.8 mm; ovary ovoid, ca 2 x 1.5 mm, glabrous, 3-locular; styles 3, 2 - 3 mm long. Fruits subglobose, 7 - 8 x 7 - 10 mm, unlobed; fruiting pedicels 3 - 4 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. June-Nov.

Distrib. India: Common in subtropical forests or temperate meadows between 2000 - 3500 m altitude, usually as forest undergrowth at shaded places. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal China and Taiwan.