鄂西蜡瓣花 e xi la ban hua

Shrubs; branchlets gray-brown, glabrous, minutely lenticellate; terminal buds ellipsoid, 0.8–1 cm, glabrous. Stipules oblong, 18–20 mm, glabrous; petiole 8–10 mm, puberulent; leaf blade obovate-rounded, 6–8 × 4–6 cm, abaxially pale gray-brown, sparsely pubescent or glabrescent along veins, adaxially drying green, glabrous, base cordate, asymmetrical, margin sinuate-serrate, teeth mucronate, apex acute, lateral veins 8–10 on each side, the 2 lowermost with obscure tertiary veins at 90° to lateral veins. Inflorescence 3–4.5 cm, 5–6 cm in fruit; peduncle ca. 1.5 cm, pubescent, with 1 or 2 basal leaves; floral bract ovate, ca. 7 mm, abaxially glabrous; bracteoles oblong, 4–5 mm, abaxially glabrous. Floral cup glabrous. Sepals ovate, apex rounded. Petals narrowly spatulate, 6–7 × 3–3.5 mm. Stamens 5–7 mm; disk scales 2-lobed, apex acute, shorter than sepals. Ovary superior, glabrous; styles 5–6 mm, somewhat longer than stamens. Capsules 6–7 mm. Seeds 4–5 mm. Fl. Apr–Jun, fr. Jul–Sep.

Forests; ca. 1000 m. W Hubei, E Sichuan.