广东螺序草 guang dong luo xu cao

Herbs, creeping, perhaps perennial, ascending at apices; stems sparsely to densely pubescent. Petiole 2-6 mm, pubescent; leaf blade drying papery, leaden to pale gray, cordiform-rounded to broadly ovate, 0.7-1.5(-1.8) × 0.5-1.2 cm, adaxially sparsely hirsute, abaxially usually glabrous or subglabrous, base cordulate to broadly obtuse, apex subacute; secondary veins 3-5 pairs; stipules deeply 2-lobed, glabrescent, lobes linear-subulate, 2-3 mm. Inflorescence 1-3-flowered, puberulent to pilosulous; peduncles short; bracteoles linear, ca. 1.7 mm; pedicels 1-2 mm. Flowers distylous, pedicellate. Calyx hispidulous to glabrescent; hypanthium portion obconic, ca. 1 mm; lobes oblong-lanceolate, ca. 2 mm, with gland in each sinus. Corolla white, slenderly funnelform, subglabrous outside; tube ca. 11 mm, in throat densely villous; lobes subovate, ca. 4 mm, sparsely pinnatinerved. Capsules subglobose-obconic, ca. 1.4 mm, persistent calyx lobes 3-4 mm, valves 4, straight. Fl. early spring.

● Dense forests, forest margins. Guangdong, Guangxi (Hechi).

As noted by H. S. Lo in the protologue, this species is very similar to Ophiorrhiza exigua and, in fact, was confused with it in the original description of that species.