斑赤瓟 ban chi bao

Herbs, climbing. Roots tuberous. Stem and branches slender, angular, puberulent or subglabrous. Petiole slender, 4-9 cm, puberulent; leaf blade broadly ovate-cordate, 7-13 × 5-10 cm, membranous, abaxially puberulent, adaxially setose, basal lateral veins along base of blade, base cordate, margin dentate or irregularly serrate, apex shortly acuminate; sinus open, semicircular. Tendrils filiform, simple, subglabrous or sparsely puberulent. Male flowers in a raceme of 3-6(-8) flowers; rachis slender, 3-4 cm, puberulent; pedicels filiform, 12-25 mm, smooth; calyx tube broadly campanulate; segments narrowly triangular-lanceolate, ca. 4 mm, pubescent, 3-veined, apex acuminate; corolla segments ovate, 12-15 × ca. 7 mm, 5-veined, apex acute or shortly acuminate; filaments ca. 3 mm, puberulent; anthers oblong, ca. 2 mm; rudimentary ovary semiglobose. Female flowers solitary; pedicels filiform, 25-35 mm, pubescent; calyx segments linear-subulate, 7-8 mm, puberulent; corolla segments as in male flowers; ovary oblong or narrowly fusiform, ca. 10 mm, densely pale yellow pubescent, base truncate, apex acuminate; style 3-fid; stigma enlarged, reniform, 2-lobed. Fruiting peduncle 3-4 cm, puberulent, glabrescent; fruit orange-red, fusiform, 5-7 × 2-2.8 cm, smooth, subglabrous, base attenuate, apex acuminate, rostrate. Seeds narrowly ovate, 4-5 × ca. 2.5 mm, ca. 1.5 mm thick, smooth. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Oct.

● Valleys, forests; 500-1800 m. Henan, W Hubei.