宜昌楼梯草 yi chang lou ti cao

Herbs perennial, monoecious or dioecious, 20-50 cm tall, glabrous. Stems ascending or erect, simple. Leaves alternate; nanophylls absent; stipules linear or oblong, 2-3.5 × 0.5 mm, without cystoliths; petiole 0-1.5 mm; leaf blade obliquely obovate-oblong or obliquely oblong, 6-12.5 × 2-3 cm, herbaceous or papery, major basal lateral veins both arising at base of leaf blade or 1 arising above base, cystoliths conspicuous, dense; base with broader half obtuse or rounded, margin crenate, apex caudate-acuminate. Male inflorescences solitary or rarely in pairs, simple, 3-6 mm in diam.; peduncle 0-1 mm; receptacle very small; bracts 6, connate, ovate, unequal, 2 outer ones 1.2-1.5 cm, 4 inner ones 5-7 mm; bracteoles spatulate or cymbiform-linear. Female inflorescences solitary or rarely in pairs, 30-flowered or more, 6-10 × 3-7 mm; peduncle 2-4 mm; receptacle oblong, 3-8 × 3-6 mm; bracts triangular; bracteoles spatulate-linear. Male flowers 5-merous. Achenes ellipsoid, 8-ribbed. Fl. Aug-Sep.

* Evergreen broad-leaved forests in mountains, rocks; 300-1100 m. N Guangxi, Guizhou, W Hubei, NW Hunan, SE Sichuan.