Neolitsea sericea

{{Short description|Species of tree}}

{{speciesbox

|image = Neolitsea sericea.jpg

|genus = Neolitsea

|species = sericea

|authority = (Blume) Koidz.

|synonyms = Neolitsea aurata (Hayata) Koidzumi

}}

Neolitsea sericea is a species of tree in the family Lauraceae. It is found in China, Taiwan (Orchid Island, Green Island), south Korea, and Japan.{{cite book |title=Flora of Taiwan | edition=2nd | volume=2 | chapter=Lauraceae |last1=Liao |first1=Jih-Ching | editor-last=Huang | editor-first=Tseng-chieng |year=1996 |publisher=Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan, Second Edition |location=Taipei, Taiwan |isbn=957-9019-52-5 |pages=433–499 |url=http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/ebook/ebookcontent.php?book=Fl.%20Taiwan%202nd%20edit.&volume=2 |chapter-url=http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/ebook/ebookpage.php?book=Fl.%20Taiwan%202nd%20edit.&volume=2&page=433 |access-date=31 March 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200009031 |title=Neolitsea sericea |author=Puhua Huang & Henk van der Werff |work=Flora of China |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA |access-date=31 March 2013}} Its natural habitat is on forest margins and slopes,{{cite web|url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200008992 |title=Neolitsea aurata |author=Puhua Huang & Henk van der Werff |work=Flora of China |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA |access-date=31 March 2013}} and it is often found in well-progressed secondary forests.[http://had0.big.ous.ac.jp/plantsdic/angiospermae/dicotyledoneae/choripetalae/lauraceae/sirodamo/sirodamo.htm Neolitsea sericea] (in Japanese), Okayama University Plant Ecology Laboratory

It is a medium-size tree, growing up to {{convert|10|m|abbr=on}} tall. Its leaves are evergreen, and distinctly whitened on the back. It produces yellow flowers in the fall, and its fruit is a red berry.{{cite book |last=Ohwi |first=Jisaburo |date=1965 |title=Flora of Japan |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |page=473}}

Neolitsea sericea contains two varieties, Neolitsea sericea var. sericea and Neolitsea sericea var. aurata. The latter may also be considered as its own species, Neolitsea aurata.

File:Neolitsea sericea1.jpg|N. sericea

File:Neolitsea sericea2.jpg|N. sericea leaves