Shrub or small tree to 4 m high; branches spreading; branchlets brown-pubescent, soon glabrescent. Leaves narrowly elliptic, ovate or obovate, (2–)4–10 cm long, (1.2–)2–4 cm wide, base cuneate, apex usually obtuse, margins entire or crenate towards apex, glabrous or glabrescent, coriaceous, somewhat glossy above; petiole 5–10 mm long. Flowers white; pedicle 0–2 mm long, pubescent. Sepals lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate, 3–4.5 mm long, outer surface pubescent; petals obovate, c. 1 cm long; stamens 20; styles 2, united basally. Pome globose, 7–10 mm diam., blackish-purple. Flowers spring–summer.
GipP, HSF, Strz. Also naturalised Qld, NSW. Native of China, Japan and Taiwan,.
Cultivated as an ornamental, known in Victoria from a single record near Warrandyte.
Rhaphiolepis indica(L.) Lindl. (Indian Hawthorn) has been noted as spontaneous in inner Melbourne suburbs (e.g. Hawthorn) but does not appear to be truly naturalised there or elsewhere in Victoria as it is in New South Wales. It is an evergreen shrub to c. 1.5 m tall with simple toothed leaves, racemose inflorescences from terminal scaly buds, white or pink flowers, and small bluish fruits.
