地柑 di gan

Lianas, medium sized to large, to 5 m, root-climbing. Stems rectangular in cross section, ± compressed, to 12 mm in diam., angles minutely but prominently winged. Leaves paler abaxially, when fresh mid-green adaxially; petiole obovate-oblong to linear-oblong or narrowly triangular, 10-40 × 4-17 mm, somewhat narrowly to rather broadly winged, base decurrent, apex truncate, rounded, or auriculate; each side with 2-4 secondary veins and numerous veinlets, all veins, but particularly secondary veins, prominent; leaf blade ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, 3.5-11 × 2-5 cm, base rounded to subacute, apex attenuate, somewhat prominently tubulate; each side with 2-4 intramarginal veins arising from base and either immediately diverging or remaining very close and parallel to midrib and then diverging further along leaf blade, either reaching leaf tip or merging into a prominent submarginal collecting vein, additional veins arising obliquely from midrib, remaining parallel. Flowering shoot much abbreviated, arising mostly from upper-middle to distal leaf axils of fertile shoots. Inflorescence solitary; peduncle erect, green, stout, 0-3(-5) × ca. 1 mm. Spathe green to greenish purple, ovate, concave, 4-5 × 2.5-4 mm, base decurrent on peduncle, margins strongly inrolled, apex arched to recurved, acute. Spadix stipitate; stipe erect, straight to slightly curved, green to greenish purple, terete, stout, 10-12 × 1-1.25 mm; fertile zone yellow, globose, 4-5 × 4-5 mm. Flowers 1-2 mm in diam. Infructescence not seen. Fl. Dec-Jul.

Dense forests, on rocks; 200-1000 m. SW Guangxi, SE Yunnan [N Vietnam].

The name Pothos pilulifer was first published by Gagnepain (in Lecomte et al., Fl. Indo-Chine 6: 1084. 1942) but not validly so because no Latin description or diagnosis was provided (Vienna Code, Art. 36.1).

All parts of the plant are used medicinally for treating epilepsy.