凹叶瓜馥木 ao ye gua fu mu

Melodorum retusum H. Léveillé, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 9: 458. 1911; Fissistigma capitatum Merrill ex H. L. Li.

Climbers to 10 m tall. Branches brown tomentose. Petiole 0.8-1.5 cm, abaxially grooved, densely tomentulose; leaf blade broadly ovate, obovate, or obovate-oblong, 9-26 × 4.5-13 cm, leathery to thinly leathery, abaxially brown tomentose, adaxially tomentulose only on midvein and secondary veins, secondary veins 15-22 on each side of midvein and adaxially ± impressed, tertiary veins prominently parallel, reticulate veins very dense, base rounded, truncate, or sometimes shallowly cordate, apex rounded to retuse and minutely apiculate. Inflorescences ± leaf-opposed, in umbel-like glomerules, 4-8-flowered or more; peduncle 5-10 mm; bracts caducous. Pedicel to 2 cm, bracteolate at middle. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1 cm, as long as petals in bud, outside tomentulose, inside glabrous. Outer petals ovate-elliptic, ca. 15 mm, outside tomentulose, inside glabrous; inner petals ovate-lanceolate, shorter than outer petals, glabrous, slightly incurved at base. Stamens oblong; connectives broadly 3-angular. Carpels ca. 1.5 mm, densely sericeous pubescent; ovules ca. 4 per carpel, in 2 series; styles oblong, incurved, pubescent; stigma apex entire. Fruiting pedicel 1.5-2.2 cm, golden tomentulose; monocarp stipes very short; monocarps globose, ca. 3 cm in diam., golden tomentulose. Fl. May-Nov, fr. Jun-Dec.

● Densely forested slopes; 700-2000 m. S Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, SE Xizang, Yunnan.