河池胡椒 he chi hu jiao

Climbers. Stems blackish when dry, pubescent. Petiole 7-8 mm, densely villous; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, those toward base of stem wider, bilaterally slightly unequal, black when dry, 5.5-11 × 2-3.5 cm, papery, glandular, abaxially pubescent or with a few dichotomous hairs on midvein and veins, adaxially glabrous, base rounded, apex long acuminate; veins 7, apical pair arising 1.5-3.5 cm above base, alternate, nearly reaching leaf apex, others basal; reticulate veins abaxially conspicuous. Flowers bisexual. Spikes leaf-opposed, ca. 50 mm or longer at anthesis; peduncle ca. as long as petioles, pubescent; rachis glabrous; bracts orbicular, peltate, glabrous, or with 2 or 3 long hairs near apex; stalk ca. 0.3 mm. Stamens 2; filaments much shorter than anthers; anthers ovoid. Ovary immersed in rachis; stigmas 3, very short, caducous. Unripe drupe partly connate to rachis, globose, ca. 2 mm in diam. Fl. Jun-Jul.

* Shady cliffs; circa 600 m. N Guangxi (Hechi Xian)