Scientific Name
Ligustrum sinense Lour.
Common Names
small-leaved privet, Chinese privet, hedge privet
Origin
Native to Asia
Family
Oleaceae
Habit
A branching, densely leafed evergreen shrub up to 3m tall.
Habitat
Will invade the under story in moister regions. It is a big problem in coastal and tablelands areas of Australia.
General Description
Stems and Leaves:
Oval leaves which end in a pointed tip that are 2-5cm long and 1.5-2.5cm wide. The petiole (stalk of a leaf) is 3-7mm long. Leaves are opposite with a wavy leaf margin and the midrib on the lower surface of the leaf is pubescent (dense covering of short, weak, soft hairs). Leaves are soft with a thin texture. New growth and young branches are covered with short, soft hairs. Stems are woody and are light brown.
Flowers and Fruit:
Small tubular, white flowers, which occur in dense clusters (panicles), are 5-10cm long and have a strong scent. The pedicel (stalk of the flower) is 1-3mm long with the flowers having 4 petals and stamens that protrude. The calyx tube (a tube formed by the fusion of the sepals) is 1mm long and scarcely lobed and the corolla (the petals of a flower collectively) is tube shaped and is 0.5-1mm long with lobes that are 2mm long. Flowers in late winter to spring. The fruit is a blue-black oval berry at maturity in winter, green prior to maturity.
Distinguishing characteristics
Ligustrum sinense may be mistaken for Morinda (Morinda jasminoides), however unlike Ligustrum, Morinda is a creeper and has small pits on the leaf at the intersection of the veins and midvein. Grey myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia) is also similar to Ligustrum, however Ligustrum tends not to have a pleasantly scented leaf and its leaf veins do not fully extend to the leaf margin as in Backhousia sp.
Ligustrum sinense can also be distinguished from Ligustrum lucidum (large-leaved privet) in that L. lucidum has leaves that are usually 6-12cm long and 3-5cm wide; a petiole that is 10-20mm long and panicles (a much branched infloresence with a main axis and lateral branches which are further branched, and in which each axis ends in a flower or bud) that are >15cm long.
Sources & References
Harden GJ (Ed) (2002) 'Flora of New South Wales.' (University of New South Wales Press Ltd: Sydney, Australia)
Perry F (1972) 'Flowers of the World.' (Hamlyn Publishing Group: Sydney)
Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines of Central North Carolina (2004) 'Chinese Privet (Ligustrum Sinense)' www.duke.edu
Weeds of Blue Mountains Bushland (2004) 'Privet small-leaf' www.weedsbluemountains.org.au
Prepared by Kylie Pethybridge, 2005
Checked by Carole Campbell, 2005
Updated by Justin KY Chu, July 2005
Checked by Dr Peter Michael, July 2005
Updated by IEWF, January 2007