小花青藤 xiao hua qing teng

Lianas. Stem angulate. Branchlets puberulent. Leaves 3-foliolate; petiole 4-8 cm, glabrous; leaflets: petiolules 1.2-2.5 cm, glabrous; blade elliptic-oblong to elliptic, 7-14 × 3-7 cm, papery, both surfaces glabrous, lateral veins 5- or 6-paired, conspicuous on both surfaces, veinlets conspicuous abaxially only, base broadly cuneate, oblique on both sides, apex acuminate or long acuminate. Cymose panicles axillary, 10-20 cm, densely gray-brown puberulent. Flowers green-white, without bracts; buds globose, 2-3 mm in diam. Outer tepals green, elliptic-oblong, 3.5-5 × 1.5-2 mm, sparsely pubescent. Inner tepals white, similar to outer ones, 3-4 × ca. 1 mm, abaxially pubescent. Stamens 6-7 mm; filaments curved around anthers in bud, ± filiform, 4.5-6 mm, puberulent; appendages inconspicuous, clavate, obovate-oblong, 0.3-0.6 mm. Ovary constricted at apex, densely gray-brown puberulent; style 3.5-4 mm, gray villous; stigma dilated, cristate. Interstaminal glands small, 3-lobed. Fruit 7-9 cm in diam., 4-winged; large wings 2-3 cm wide, smaller ones ca. 0.5 cm wide. Fl. May-Oct, fr. Nov-Dec.

Dense or sparse forests on hills; (300-)500-1400 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan [Malaysia, Vietnam].

The roots are used medicinally for treating rheumatic arthralgia.