红花酸脚杆 hong hua suan jiao gan

Melastoma rubicundum Jack, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 14: 18. 1823; Medinilla emarginata Craib; M. erythrophylla Wallich ex Lindley; M. fuligineoglandulifera C. Chen; M. hainanensis Merrill & Chun; M. rubicunda var. tibetica C. Chen; M. yunnanensis H. L. Li.

Shrubs 0.5-5 m tall, sometimes epiphytic, many-branched. Stems light brown or tan, slightly succulent, obtusely 4-angled, later terete, scattered lenticellate, glabrous; bark corky, wrinkled. Petiole 0.5-2.5 cm, glabrous; leaf blade elliptic to lanceolate, 5-14 × 2.5-6.5 cm, stiffly papery to subleathery, both surfaces glabrous, abaxially sometimes tuberculate, adaxially scrobiculate, secondary veins 1 or 2 on each side of midvein, if secondary veins 2-paired then apical pair originating ca. 5 mm for leaf blade base, base broadly cuneate to subround, margin entire, apex abruptly acuminate. Inflorescences axillary in axils of leaves or at leaf scars on older branches, cymose, (1-)3-5-flowered; peduncle 4-5 mm, puberulous. Pedicel 2-5 mm, puberulous; bracts 2 at base of each pedicel, acutely triangular, ca. 1 mm. Hypanthium funnel-shaped, 5-6.5 mm, puberulous. Calyx lobes inconspicuous, forming an undulate ring. Petals pink, rhomboid-obovate, 1-1.5 × 0.6-0.8 cm, oblique, glabrous, apex rounded to truncate. Stamens equal, 1-1.4 cm; anthers lanceolate, curved; connective decurrent, forming a short spur, adaxially 2-tuberculate. Ovary ovoid, glabrous, margin membranous, apex truncate. Berry ovoid to urceolate because of persistent, short, free calyx margin, 9-11 × 7-8 mm. Seeds obovate, glabrous. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Oct-Mar.

Mixed forests, woodlands, river banks, mountain slopes; 800-1800 m. Guangxi, Hainan, Xizang (Mêdog), Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Malaysia, N Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand].