锥序苎麻 zhui xu zhu ma

Boehmeriae poystachyae similis sed foliis latissime ovatis ut maximum sequi (nec circa duplo) longioribus quam latioribus, ad basin semper rotundato-truncatis (nec cuneatis), ad apicem abrupte (nec sensim) acuminatis, ramulis lateralibus inflorescentiae non ramosis, glomerulis femineis parvis paucifloris et fructu late ovoideo ut maximum 1.3-plo (nec circa duplo) longiore quam latiore ad basin semper rotundato (nec protracto) differt.

Shrubs large, to 3 m tall, dioecious; branches 4-angled; branches and petioles sparsely appressed strigillose, glabrescent. Leaves opposite, subequal in size; stipules narrowly triangular, 3-4 × 1.5-5 mm, connate at base; petiole 4-12 cm; leaf blade light green abaxially, dark green adaxially when dried, ovate-orbicular to suborbicular, rarely broadly ovate, sometimes obliquely ovate, 8-17 × 6.5-14 cm, herbaceous, basal veins extending into apical 1/5 of leaf blade, secondary veins 3 or 4 each side of midvein, reticulate veins slightly raised abaxially, abaxial surface subglabrous, adaxial surface sparsely adpressed strigose, glabrescent; base cordate, rounded truncate or broadly cuneate, margin crenate, apex cuspidate to shortly acuminate, rarely acuminate, tip entire. Glomerules 5-10-flowered, on axillary, regularly spreading branches along specialized flowering shoots 5-8 cm; branches simple, spikelike, progressively and regularly shorter toward apex of shoot. Male flowers 4-merous, sessile; perianth lobes elliptic, ca. 1.2 mm, sparsely puberulent, connate to middle. Fruiting perianth tube broadly ovoid, compressed, ca. 0.8 mm, sparsely strigillose on shoulder, base ± rounded, apex with very short neck. Fl. Oct-Mar, fr. Apr-Jun.

Forests, shady wet places in ravines; 1200-2000 m. SE Xizang, Yunnan [NE India (Bengal)].

This new species is named for its small inflorescences, with unbranched lateral branches which become progressively shorter toward the inflorescence apex, thereby giving a conic appearance. Chinese material has hitherto been confused with Boehmeria polystachya, which can be distinguished from B. conica by its narrower leaves with serrate margins and many transversely parallel secondary veins, much more irregular and rebranched inflorescences, and narrowly rhomboid-obovoid fruiting perianth tube with a cuneate base.

Also see CHEN, C. J., C. M. Wilmot-Dear & I. Friis. 2005. Notes on Chinese and Indochinese Boehmeria (Urticaceae). Kew Bull. 60: 449–453.