Myrsine semiserrata

Myrsine semiserrata is a shrub or small tree that stays green. It is part of Primulaceae, the primrose family. Its native range starts in northeast Pakistan. It reaches southern China and Indo-China. Records list India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and Myanmar too. It grows in woods with broad leaves, scrub, and open hills. It also grows on limestone slopes and by roads and streams. Records place it at 1,640–8,858 feet [500–2,700 metres] above sea level.

Plants For A Future gives its height as 13 feet [4 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants gives a range of 10–23 feet [3–7 metres]. That range is for the species as a whole. It is not a proven size for plants in gardens. Plants For A Future says it grows at a slow rate. The leaves stay on the plant all year. Captions in the tropical database show new leaves with a red-brown tint. The sources give no more facts on bark or leaf shape.

Plants For A Future says it blooms in May. Seeds ripen from October through December, says the same source. It says male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Both sexes must thus be present to make seed. The round fruit starts red, then turns purple-black as it ripens. Each fruit is about 0.2–0.3 inches across. The sources say people gather ripe fruit to eat locally. They list no known hazards. But they give no detailed review of its safety.

The species profile lists sun or light shade as suitable. It lists moist soil that drains well too. Soil choices include sand, loam, and clay. The listed pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. Suggested garden spots include the edges of woods and patchy shade. Its hardiness in Britain is not clear. The sources give no firm hardiness zone. Much of the detailed growing advice concerns the whole genus. Those notes do not prove how much cold this species can take.

Plants For A Future says to sow seeds under warm glass. It gives late winter or early spring as the time. It says to keep young plants under cover through their first winter. It also lists summer cuttings from half-ripe growth. People use the wood for local building, carpentry, and fuel. The same source lists folk uses of fruit for worms and gut complaints. It also lists gum and leaves for medicinal use. Useful Tropical Plants lists no medicinal uses, so the sources differ. Neither source gives facts on specific pests or diseases.