Ji Mu

Ji Mu is Loropetalum chinense (R.Br.) Oliv. (Hamamelidaceae), Chinese fringe-flower, an evergreen shrub or small tree 2-7 m tall, native to southern China, southern Japan, and northern India. Branchlets are stellate-tomentose; the alternate, distichous, leathery leaves are ovate to elliptic, 2-5 cm long, with an oblique base, entire margins, and pubescent surfaces. In late winter and early spring, axillary clusters of three to eight flowers open simultaneously, each with four narrow, ribbon-like, white to creamy strap-shaped petals 1.5-2 cm long, giving the species a striking fringed appearance. A purple-leaved cultivar (var. rubrum) is widely planted ornamentally. The woody capsule splits at maturity, ejecting two glossy black seeds. The leaves, bark, and root are used in southern Chinese folk medicine to stop bleeding, reduce inflammation, treat dysentery, and as a topical poultice for burns and wounds, owing in part to tannin content.