密花螺序草 mi hua luo xu cao

Type: China. Guangxi: Daxin, Taiping, 4 Jun 1977, D. L. Chao 2-64 (holotype, GXMI).

Validating Latin description: that of "Spiradiclis corymbosa W. L. Sha e [sic!] X. X. Chen" (H. S. Lo, Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 18: 276. 1998).

Herbs, 24-30 cm tall, perhaps perennial, unbranched, perhaps ascending; stems densely pubescent. Leaves in slightly unequal opposite pairs; petiole 0.5-2.5 cm, pubescent; blade drying papery, elliptic to long elliptic, 6.5-14 × 2-4.7 cm, both surfaces pilose along veins, base cuneate, apex acute; secondary veins 11-17 pairs; stipules long triangular, to 23 mm, ciliate, apex subulate. Inflorescences corymbose, densely many flowered, densely pubescent; peduncles 4.5-9 cm; axes usually scorpioid; bracts linear, 3-18 mm, ciliate; bracteoles linear, ca. 2 mm, ciliate; pedicels to 2 mm. Flowers sessile to pedicellate. Calyx pubescent; hypanthium portion turbinate, ca. 1.5 mm; lobes long triangular, ca. 1 mm, ciliate. Corolla red, pubescent inside and out; tube 7.5-9 mm; lobes ovate, 1.5-2 mm. Capsules unknown. Fl. Jun.

● Rocks in forests on limestone hills. Guangxi.

This name was previously published by H. S. Lo (loc. cit.) but not validly so because the type was not indicated in accordance with Art. 37.6 and 37.7 of the Vienna Code. This species as circumscribed here reportedly (H. S. Lo in FRPS 71(1): 100. 1999) comprises the Chinese plants previously treated as Spiradiclis leptobotrya (Drake) Pitard var. longiflora Merrill, in particular as treated under that name by H. S. Lo et al. (Acta Bot. Austro Sin. 1: 29. 1983).