毛背猫乳 mao bei mao ru

Shrubs 2-3 m tall, deciduous. Young branches green, tomentose or pilose; branchlets black-brown, with few inconspicuous lenticels. Petiole 2-5 mm, tomentose or pilose; leaf blade abaxially gray-green, adaxially dark green, subelliptic or ovate-oblong, 4-8 × 2-4 cm, papery, abaxially tomentose or densely pubescent, or only pilose, adaxially subglabrous, lateral veins 5-8 pairs, base rounded or subcordate, slightly oblique, margin serrulate, apex shortly acuminate or long acuminate. Flowers yellow-green, 2-4 in axillary cymes. Sepals broadly ovate, apex acute. Petals obovate, slightly longer than stamens, apex emarginate. Drupe purple-red at maturity, subcylindric, ca. 7 mm; fruiting pedicel 3.5-4.5 mm. Fl. May, fr. Jul-Aug.

● Forest understories on slopes; 1000-1600 m. Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan.

This species differs from other species in the genus in having tomentose or densely pilose young branches, abaxial leaf surfaces, and petioles.