长刺楤木 chang ci cong mu

Aralia nantouensis S. S. Ying.

Shrubs, to 3 m tall, andromonoecious. Branches with dense, flat prickles 1-10 mm and slender setae 2-4 mm. Leaves 2(or 3)-pinnately compound, with a pair of accessory leaflets at each division of rachis, petioles, rachis, secondary rachis, and leaflets with scattered, slender and nearly straight prickles, recurved, conic prickles, and numerous slender, spreading setae; petiole to ca. 50 cm; petiolules (0-)0.5-3 mm; leaflets 5-9 per pinna, ovate to narrowly ovate, rarely lanceolate, 5-17 × 2.5-9 cm, papery to submembranous, secondary veins 5-8 pairs, conspicuous on both surfaces, reticulate veins conspicuous abaxially, inconspicuous adaxially, base rounded to slightly subcordate, margin serrate or biserrate (teeth ciliate), apex acuminate. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of umbels, setose, with prickles and bristles, lax; ultimate axis with a terminal umbel of bisexual flowers and 1 or 2 lateral umbels of male flowers; bracts persistent or caducous, oblong, 3-6 mm; umbels 20-50-flowered; pedicels 1.2-1.6 cm (shorter in male flowers), densely setose and furfuraceous. Ovary 5-carpellate; styles 5, united basally, free apically. Fruit globose, 5-5.5 mm in diam.; styles persistent, radiating. Fl. Aug-Oct, fr. Oct-Dec.

● Mountain slopes, open woods, forest margins, ravines, roadsides; 200-800 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi (Jinxiu, Wuzhou, Yuanbao Shan), Hunan (Qianyang, Tongdao), Jiangxi (Ruijin, Xingguo, Xunwu), Taiwan, Zhejiang.

This species is used for washing boils.