奇叶玉兰 qi ye yu lan

Trees, to 8 m tall. Juvenile twigs purplish brown, shiny, later densely pale yellow pubescent, glabrescent or with persistent trichomes. Stipules long lanceolate, 1.5-2 cm, abaxially densely silvery pubescent, apex obtuse; stipular scar conspicuous, less than 1/5 as long as petiole. Petiole 1.5-2.5(-5) cm, pubescent; leaf blade irregularly obtriangular, 9.2-16.5 × 7-11.5 cm, abaxially pale green and densely pubescent, adaxially glabrous but pubescent along midvein, secondary veins 6-9 on each side of midvein, reticulate veins conspicuous on both surfaces, base cuneate, apex with 2 irregular orbicular to triangular lobes. Brachyblasts densely pale yellowish white villous. Flower buds ovoid, 1.5-2.5 × 1-1.2 cm, apex obtuse; bracts 1(or 2), thickly leathery, abaxially densely pale brown villous. Flowers appearing before leaves. Tepals 12, white, spatulate-long elliptic, 5.5-6.5 × 2.5-3.2 cm, pale purplish outside in middle at base, base narrowly cuneate, apex obtuse. Stamens 6-8 mm; filaments abaxially pale purple, ca. 2 mm; connective apex acute and with a ca. 1.5 mm mucro; anthers 4-6 mm, dehiscing latrorsely. Gynoecium pale green to green, terete, 1.2-2 cm; carpels many, densely white pubescent; styles pale green, 5-6 mm. Fruit not seen. Fl. late Mar.

● Forests; ca. 600 m. Henan (Xinyang).

This plant may be a hybrid between species of Yulania cultivated in the area for the production of medicinal xinyi.