Sarcococca Lindl.

Sweet Box

Greek sarx — flesh, kokkos— berry, referring to the fleshy fruits.

Evergreen shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire, stalked. Flowers in axillary clusters or heads, usually fragrant. Male flowers borne above the female flowers. Petals absent. Sepals and stamens 4-6. Ovary with 2-3 chambers. Fruit a drupe.

Grown for the dense evergreen foliage and coloured fruits. The species are difficult to identify on vegetative characters.

About 14 species from Malaysia to W China.

Cuttings and seeds.

Leaves alternate, entire; male flowers above the females in the flower cluster; fruit a drupe.

Sealy (1986).

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Buxaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Buxanae
order      Buxales
family       Buxaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Sarcococca hookeriana Baill.