桤叶蜡瓣花 qi ye la ban hua

Berchemia alnifolia H. Léveillé, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 433. 1912.

Shrubs, to 2 m tall; young branches dark gray, glabrous, older growth lenticellate; buds narrowly ovoid-globose, glabrous. Stipules oblong-ovate, 5–7 mm, glabrous; petiole 10–15 mm, glabrous; leaf blade obovate-rounded or almost circular, 3.5–5.5 × 3–5 cm, thinly leathery, abaxially pubescent along veins, adaxially glabrous, base asymmetrical, cordate, margin serrate above middle of leaf, teeth mucronate, apex rounded and mucronate; lateral veins 7 or 8 on each side, the 2 lowermost with faint tertiary veins. Inflorescence 3–4 cm, 10–12-flowered; peduncle 1.2–1.5 cm, glabrous; basal bracts of inflorescences and floral bracts caducous. Floral cup 1 mm, glabrous. Sepals broadly ovate, as long as floral cup, glabrous. Petals and stamens not seen. Disk scales shorter than sepals, not lobed, apex obtuse or subemarginate. Ovary adnate to floral cup, glabrous; styles 2–3 mm. Capsules 6–7 mm, glabrous. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Jul–Sep.

Forests and roadsides; 1000--1200 m. Guizhou.