被子裸实 bei zi luo shi

Maytenus royleana (Wallich ex M. A. Lawson) Cufodontis; ?M. yimenensis H. Shao.

Shrubs, with very spiny straight or slightly zigzag branches; thorns sturdy, 1-2.5 cm, axillary on annual branches. Petiole 2-4 mm; leaf blade obovate or elliptic, 1.5-4 × 0.5-2 cm, thickly papery, base cuneate, margin entire or not obviously crenate, apex acute or obtuse, rarely rounded; lateral veins 5 or 6 pairs, quite tenuous. Cymes 1 to several, fascicled, 1-7-flowered; peduncle 2-5 mm when fruiting; branches and pedicels ca. 5 mm when fruiting. Petals white, oblong-ovate (flowers not seen). Capsule obtriangular, ca. 1 mm, dehiscing into 3 valves. Seeds long ellipsoid, black, ca. 6 mm; aril red, nearly covering seed. Fr. Jun.

Mountain slopes. ?Xinjiang, ?Xizang, ?Yunnan [Afghanistan, India, Kashmir, Pakistan].

Only one specimen is known from China, Liou Tchen-Neo 5892 (PE), collected between Xinjiang and Kashmir and Pakistan.

Hong Shao (Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 20: 126. 2000) described Maytenus yimenensis from Yunnan. Its affinity to Gymnosporia royleana needs further study.