皂帽花 zao mao hua

Trees to 3.5 m tall. Branches very densely hairy when young. Petiole 2.5-5.5 mm, densely hairy; leaf blade elliptic to obovate, 7-15 × (2.5-)4-8 cm, papery, abaxially glaucous and sparsely to densely hairy, adaxially glabrous or sparsely hairy, midvein hairy and abaxially more densely so, secondary veins 10-14 on each side of midvein and adaxially impressed, base rounded to shallowly cordate, apex acute. Flowers axillary or terminal on young growth. Pedicel 1-2 cm, densely hairy. Sepals 7-16 × 4-9 mm. Petals purplish red, triangular to ovate, 1.6-3 × 0.7-1 cm, papery, not twisted, outside densely hairy; floral chamber 4-6.5 mm, 20%-30% of petal length. Stamens 40-70 per flower; connectives apically apiculate; pollen echinate. Carpels 15-25, hispid; stigmas sparsely papillate. Fruiting pedicel 1-2.4 cm, densely hairy; monocarp stipes 3.5-6.5 mm; monocarps dark purple, subglobose when 1-seeded or moniliform when more than 1-seeded, 8.5-13 × 2.7-5.5 mm, with grayish white bristles, glabrescent, terminal apiculus 0.2-0.8 mm; joints 3-8, subglobose, 5-6 × ca. 5 mm, constrictions 1.2-2.3 mm wide, 25%-35% of monocarp width. Seeds 3-8 per monocarp, subglobose, 5.2-6 × 4.8-5 mm. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Jul-Dec.

● Sparsely forested slopes on sandy soil; below 100 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan.

Specimens of Dasymaschalon trichophorum have previously been misidentified as D. macrocalyx Finet & Gagnepain (Desmos macrocalyx (Finet & Gagnepain) P. T. Li), which does not occur in China.