MorphologyRead full entry Description and Biology - Plant:
deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs that grow from 8-20 ft. tall;
trunks with multiple stems with long leafy branches; the
presence or absence of hairs and type of hairs on stems is
helpful in distinguishing species. - Leaves: opposite, simple,
entire, short-stalked, ranging in length from 1-3 in. and
varying in shape from oval, elliptic to oblong. - Flowers,
fruits and seeds: flowers small, white and tubular with four
petals and occur in clusters at branch tips; fragrant; late
spring to early summer (May to July); length of corolla tube
length ranges from 1/10 in. (Chinese) to ¼ in. (border); anthers
exceed the corolla lobes (Chinese and California); fruit is
small black to blue-black oval to spherical drupe (i.e., a
fleshy fruit with 1-several stony seeds inside), mature late
summer to fall. - Spreads: by birds that consume fruits and
excrete seeds undamaged in new locations; can spread locally
through root sprouting.