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The "Hama-jincho" (Myoporum bontioides) belongs to the family Myoporaceae. It is an evergreen shrub that is distributed from Mie Prefecture and westward on Honshu, through southwestern Kyushu and the Nansei Islands, as well as in Taiwan, southern China, and the Indochina Peninsula. It grows on rocky areas and sandy beaches near coastal salt marshes and mangroves, reaching a height of 1 to 2 m. The branches are highly branched. The leaves are oblong to elliptical, thick, with entire margins, and arranged alternately. From January to March, it produces pale purple flowers about 2-3 cm in diameter in the leaf axils. The petals are funnel-shaped and five-lobed at the tip. The fruit is a spherical drupe with a pointed tip. The fruit's skin is cork-like and floats on seawater, allowing the plant to spread its distribution through "ocean current dispersal" as it is carried by ocean currents. It is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the Ministry of the Environment's Red List.It is called "苦藍盤" in Taiwanese Chinese and "苦檻藍" (ku jian lan) in Chinese.
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