瓜馥木 gua fu mu

Melodorum oldhamii Hemsley, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 23: 27. 1886; Fissistigma oldhamii var. longistipitatum Tsiang.

Climbers to 8 m tall. Branchlets fulvous pubescent. Petiole ca. 1 cm, pubescent; leaf blade obovate-elliptic to oblong, 6-13 × 2-5 cm, leathery, abaxially pubescent to glabrescent, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 10-20 on each side of midvein and adaxially flat, base broadly cuneate to rounded, apex bluntly acute, rounded, or retuse. Inflorescences in glomerules, 1-8-flowered; peduncle ca. 2.5 cm. Flowers ca. 1.5 × 1-1.7 cm. Sepals broadly triangular, 3-5(-7) × 5-6 mm, brown tomentose, apex acute. Petals pale yellow to golden; outer petals ovate-elliptic, 21-24 × 11-12 mm, thicker, outside pubescent, inside glabrous; inner petals ovate-lanceolate, ca. 20 × 6 mm, outside puberulent, inside concave and puberulent, margin ciliate. Stamens oblong, ca. 2 cm; connectives slightly curved. Carpels 24-26, golden hairy; ovules 10 per carpel; styles white; stigma apex 2-cleft. Monocarp stipes 2.5-4 cm; monocarps globose, 1.5-1.8 cm in diam., densely fulvous tomentose. Seeds 4 per monocarp, orbicular. Fl. Apr-Sep, fr. Jul-Feb.

● On shrubs, often along ravines; 500-1500 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Taiwan, SE Yunnan, S Zhejiang.

A fine strong bast fiber is obtained from the inner bark of Fissistigma oldhamii and is used to make rope, sacks, and paper; its flowers yield a perfumed oil; the seed oil is used in cosmetics and industry; and its roots are used as medicine for traumatic injury and arthritis.