景洪胡椒 jing hong hu jiao

Climbers glabrous except for rachis, dioecious. Stems finely striated, tuberculate. Petiole 1-1.5 cm; leaf blade obliquely broadly elliptic to ovate, (12.5-)15-21 × 7-12 cm, papery, densely finely glandular, base rounded-cuneate, ± oblique, apex acute to acuminate; veins (5-)7(-9), apical pair arising (2-)3-6.5 cm above base, nearly reaching apex, 1(or 2) pair(s) basal; reticulate veins conspicuous. Male spikes not seen. Female spikes leaf-opposed, 3-5 cm in young fruit; peduncle 1-1.4 cm; bracts orbicular, stalk pilose, 0.7-1 mm in diam., margin not entire, glabrous abaxially. Ovary distinct; stigmas 3 or 4, short, ovate-lanceolate. Unripe drupe subglobose, 1.5-2 mm in diam., umbonate. Fl. May-Jun, Oct.

* Forests, on rocks; 800-1100 m. S to SW Yunnan

This species was at first identified as Piper pubicatulum C. de Candolle. However, the type of that species (from Vietnam) has nearly symmetric leaves with only 5 veins, shorter peduncles, and fruits only ca. 1 mm in diam.