木瓣瓜馥木 mu ban gua fu mu

Climbers to 8 m tall, most parts densely reddish brown to brown tomentose. Petiole ca. 1 cm; leaf blade ovate-oblong to ovate-elliptic, 7.5-17 × 3.5-6.5 cm, thickly papery, abaxially densely reddish brown to brown tomentose, adaxially glabrous except for pubescent midvein, secondary veins 14-18 on each side of midvein, ascending obliquely to margin, and adaxially flat, base rounded to broadly cuneate, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences axillary or leaf-opposed, in glomerules, 3-7-flowered; peduncle ca. 3 mm; bracts 1 or 2, lanceolate, 1.5-2 × ca. 0.3 cm, adaxially pubescent. Pedicel 2-2.5 cm. Sepals triangular, ca. 9 × 6 mm, inside glabrous. Petals yellow to grayish purple, thickened, woody when dry; outer petals ovate-lanceolate, ca. 19 × 7 mm, outside sparsely pubescent and prominently costate, inside glabrous. Stamens oblong, ca. 2 mm; connectives apically subrounded to truncate. Carpels oblong, ca. 4 mm, densely sericeous pubescent; ovules 6 per carpel, in 2 series; stigmas glabrous, apex 2-cleft. Fruiting pedicel ca. 2.5 cm; monocarp stipes ca. 3 mm; monocarps globose, 1.5-2 cm in diam. Seeds 6 per monocarp, in 2 series, reddish brown, ovoid to sometimes globose, flat, ca. 10 × 6-8 mm. Fl. Oct-Dec, fr. May-Jul.

Open woodlands, often on moist riverbanks; 300-500 m. S Guangxi, Hainan, S Yunnan [Vietnam].