Mountain pork
Meliosma rhoifolia
Family: Sabiaceae
What it is like
A medium sized tree. It grows 10 m high. The leaves have an odd number of leaflets. The leaf stalks are fattened at the base. The leaflets are leathery and vary in size but can be 3-15 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. They are shiny above and pale underneath. There are 11-13 veins on each side of the leaf. The flowers are in groups at the ends of branches. They have rusty soft hairs but these fall off. The fruit is round and 4-5 mm across.
They are also put in the Meliosmaceae family.
Where it is found
It is a subtropical plant. In Taiwan it grows in forests between 300-1,800 m altitude in the north of the island.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Indochina, Japan, Laos, Ryukyu, SE Asia, Taiwan
How it is used for food
The young shoots are eaten.
Edible parts
Shoots, leaves