title: Sarcococca
text: # Sarcococca
  
  Sarcococca (sweet box or Christmas box) is a genus of 11 species of flowering plants in the box family Buxaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia and the Himalayas. They are slow-growing, monoecious, evergreen shrubs 1–2 m (3–7 ft) tall. The leaves are borne alternately, 3–12 cm long and 1–4 cm broad.
  
  The plants bear fragrant white flowers, often in winter. The fruit is a red or black drupe containing 1–3 seeds. Some species are cultivated as groundcover or low hedging in moist, shady areas. The basic chromosome number for genus is 14 (2n = 28).
  
  The genus name Sarcococca comes from the Greek σάρξ (sárx) and κόκκος (kókkos) for "fleshy berry", referring to the black fruit.
  
  ## Selected species
  
  * Sarcococca confusa Sealy – Sweet box
  * Sarcococca hookeriana Baill.
  * Sarcococca humilis Stapf
  * Sarcococca longifolia M. Cheng
  * Sarcococca longipetiolata M. Cheng
  * Sarcococca orientalis C. Y. Wu
  * Sarcococca pruniformis (Saracodine courier)
  * Sarcococca ruscifolia Stapf
  * Sarcococca saligna (D. Don) Mull.-Arg.
  * Sarcococca vagans Stapf
  * Sarcococca wallichii Stapf
  * Sarcococca zeylanica Baill.
  