Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Subtropical forest
Range: East Asia
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

This woody shrub grows in forests and disturbed lands across many continents. Its dark purple berries contain chemical compounds that remain toxic to most local bird species.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Ligustrum
Species: Ligustrum lucidum