滇南粗叶木 dian nan cu ye mu

Shrubs, to 1 m tall; branchlets densely appressed hirsute. Petiole 5-8 mm, hirsute; leaf blade papery to membranous, ovate-elliptic, 4-6 × 2-3 cm, glabrous adaxially, appressed hirsute on midrib and nerves abaxially, base acute or obtuse, apex cuspidate-acuminate or acuminate; lateral veins 4 or 5 pairs; nervules subparallel; nerves and nervules elevated conspicuously abaxially; stipules ?persistent, triangular, minute, hirsute. Inflorescences glomerulate, sessile; bracts minute, hirsute. Flowers sessile. Calyx hirsute; hypanthium portion campanulate, ca. 1 mm; limb 1-1.5 mm, toothed; teeth 5. Corolla 8-10 mm, pubescent outside, villous inside. Fruit globose, 4-5 mm in diam., subglabrous; pyrenes 5.

● Forests, shaded and wet places; 1000-1300 m. Taiwan, Yunnan.

This species has been often misidentified as Lasianthus microphyllus Elmer. After examining type specimens of L. microphyllus from the Philippines (Elmer 13790, isotypes in A, CAS, E, K, L, MO), it is clear that the Chinese populations differ from L. microphyllus by having appressed-hirsute hairs on the branches, leaf midrib and nerves abaxially, and the outside of the calyx and corolla. The leaves are ovate-elliptic with a cuspidate-acuminate or acuminate apex. In contrast, L. microphyllus has subglabrous or glabrous branches, leaves, and flowers, and the leaves are ovate with a caudate apex. Therefore, the Chinese taxon represents a separate species. The name L. microphyllus has also been sometimes misapplied in Taiwan to plants of L. micranthus.