球果藤 qiu guo teng

Vines up to 7 m or longer. Stems striate, pubescent to glabrescent. Leaves slightly peltate; petiole 0.8-1.5 cm, striate, swollen and geniculate at base, pubescent to glabrescent; leaf blade ovoid-cordate or broadly ovoid-cordate, entire or rarely 3-lobed, 9-18 × 8-16 cm, papery, pubescent on both surfaces, usually denser adaxially, sometimes only pubescent on veins abaxially, base often deeply cordate, apex caudate-acuminate, palmately 5-7-veined at base, with 2-3 pairs of lateral veins prominent abaxially. Inflorescences laxly paniculate, up to 30(-50) cm, pubescent. Male flowers: outer sepals 1(-1.5) mm, middle whorl 2(-2.5) mm, inner whorl 2.5(-3.3) mm, puberulent, innermost whorl conspicuously concave, slightly transparent, 3(-3.5) × ca. 2 mm; petals 6, ca. 2 × 1-1.5 mm, light yellow; synandrium (2-)2.5 mm. Female flowers not seen. Infructescences slightly stout, puberulent; pedicels 1-1.5 cm, apex swollen or capitate. Drupes red when mature, ellipsoidal, ca. 2 cm; endocarp 1.2-1.6 cm. Fl. Apr-May, fr. Sep-Oct.

Dense forests. S and SW Yunnan [E and NE India, Myanmar, N Thailand].