Glochidion eriocarpum

Glochidion eriocarpum is a shrub or small tree. It belongs to the plant family Phyllanthaceae. Its home range includes Taiwan and southern China. It spreads into Southeast Asia, as far as northern Sumatra and Sulawesi. Kew places it in the wet tropical biome, a broad climate zone. Sources record it in open ground and in forests. People gather wild plants for use in local medicine.

The plant grows upright and has many branches. PFAF gives a shrub height of 13 feet [4 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants lists a height of 20 feet [6 metres]. Some trees reach 26 feet [8 metres]. These sizes refer to different forms of the plant. They do not show a proven size range in gardens. The trunk can reach about four inches across. PFAF calls it deciduous, which means it sheds its leaves. Useful Tropical Plants is less sure about leaf loss. Neither source says much about leaf shape or bark.

Male and female flowers grow on the same plant. Each flower has male parts or female parts, not both. The plant can bloom and bear fruit all year. It relies on a close link with Epicephala moths for pollination. The accounts give no details of flower colour or fruit shape. They give no proof that people eat the fruit. Both plant-use sources list no known use as food.

In the wild, it grows on slopes and in valleys. It also grows by roads, streams, and forest edges. Records place it in grassland, scrub, and woods with disturbed ground. They also place it on swampy ground. Sites range from about 330–5,580 feet [100–1,700 metres] above sea level. It grows over both limestone and granite. PFAF lists sand, loam, and clay as soils it can grow in. Soil can range from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. The plant prefers moist soil. Sun and part shade suit its stated needs. Sources suggest woodland edges and spots with dappled shade for gardens.

How much cold it can take is still unclear. Its hardiness in Britain is not yet known. PFAF suggests a sunny site with shelter in mild areas, but with some doubt. It also suggests winter cover and growing seedlings under glass. These are ideas, not the results of tests on growing it. Folk medicine uses roots, leaves, or the whole plant. Reported uses treat skin problems, toothache, dysentery, and other gut problems. These reports do not prove that treatment is safe or helps. The sources list no known hazards, but do not confirm safety. They give no specific advice on pests or disease.