球穗胡椒 qiu sui hu jiao

Chavica thomsonii C. de Candolle in A. de Candolle, Prodr. 16(1): 389. 1868.

Climbers herbaceous, 1-2 m long, glabrous or very finely powdery puberulent, dioecious. Stems 3-4 mm thick, finely ridged when dry, glabrous. Petiole 1-2.5 cm, glabrous to very finely pubescent; prophylls ca. 1/2 as long as petioles; leaf blade ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or elliptic, 6-16 × 3-8 cm, membranous to thinly papery, drying pale green abaxially, abaxially densely brownish red glandular especially along veins, very finely powdery pubescent along veins especially abaxially, glabrescent, base rounded, or shallowly cordate, occasionally broadly cuneate, often oblique, apex acuminate to long acuminate; veins 5-7, apical pair arising 0.5-5 cm above base, next pair sometimes also arising above base; reticulate veins conspicuous Spikes leaf-opposed. Male spikes 3-5.5 cm × 1.7-2 mm, ± white; peduncle to 8 mm; bracts orbicular, 0.8-1 mm wide, peltate, abaxially brownish red glandular, adaxially pubescent, ± sessile. Stamens (2-)4; filaments slender, short; anthers reniform. Female spikes cylindric to globose, to 1.5 cm, 0.6-2 cm × 6-8 mm in fruit; peduncle 4-10 mm; bracts as in male spikes. Ovary globose, distinct; stigmas 2. Drupe drying black, globose, closely spaced, ca. 2 mm in diam. Fl. Apr-Jul.

Valley forests, on trees; 1300-2100 m. NW, SC to SE Yunnan [Bhutan, E India, N Vietnam].

Lower Taxa

• Piper thomsonii var. microphyllum Y. C. Tseng
• Piper thomsonii var. thomsonii