西藏皂帽花 xi zang zao mao hua

Trees to 5 m tall. Branches glabrous or hairy when young. Petiole 0.9-1.1 cm, glabrous; leaf blade oblong, 13.5-20 × 4.5-5.5 cm, papery, both surfaces glabrous, abaxially glaucous, midvein glabrous on both surfaces, secondary veins ca. 12 on each side of midvein and adaxially flush, base slightly cuneate, apex acuminate. Flowers on young growth. Pedicel 1.2-1.5 cm, sparsely hairy. Sepals ca. 1.5 × 1.5 mm. Petals triangular, ca. 7 × 1.2 cm, leathery, not twisted, outside sparsely hairy; floral chamber ca. 5.5 mm, ca. 80% of petal length. Stamens ca. 100; connectives apically rounded; pollen echinate. Carpels not seen. Fruiting pedicel 1-2.3 cm, glabrous; monocarp stipes ca. 1.8 cm; monocarps ellipsoid when 1-seeded or moniliform when more than 1-seeded, ca. 2.1 × 1 cm, terminal apiculus ca. 0.2 mm; constrictions ca. 6 mm wide. Seeds 1 or 2 per monocarp, ellipsoid, 16-19 × ca. 10 mm. Fl. Mar-Jul, fr. Jun-Aug.

● Semi-evergreen subtropical forests; 500-1300 m. SE Xizang.