麻梨 ma li

Trees to 8–10 m tall. Branchlets purplish brown when old, terete, brown tomentose when young, glabrous when old, sparsely white lenticellate; buds ovoid, apex acute; scales adaxially tawny tomentose. Stipules caducous, linear-lanceolate, membranous, adaxially brown tomentose, margin sparsely glandular denticulate, apex acuminate; petiole 3.5–7.5 cm, brown tomentose when young, soon glabrescent; leaf blade ovate or narrowly ovate, 5–11 × 3.5–7.5 cm, lateral veins 7–13 pairs, abaxially brown tomentose when young, soon glabrescent, base broadly cuneate or rounded, margin serrulate, apex acuminate. Raceme umbel-like, 6–11-flowered; peduncle brown tomentose, soon glabrescent; bracts caducous, linear-lanceolate, 5–10 mm, membranous, adaxially brown lanate, margin glandular denticulate, apex acuminate. Pedicel 3–5 cm, brown tomentose, soon glabrescent. Flowers 2–3 cm in diam. Hypanthium sparsely tomentose abaxially. Sepals persistent or caducous, triangular-ovate, ca. 3 mm, abaxially sparsely tomentose, adaxially tomentose, margin glandular denticulate, apex acuminate or acute. Petals white, broadly ovate, 1–1.2 cm, shortly clawed at base, apex rounded. Stamens 20, ca. 1/2 as long as petals. Ovary 3(or 4)-loculed, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 3(or 4), ca. as long as stamens, sparsely pubescent basally. Pome dark brown, subglobose or obovoid, 1.5–2.2 cm in diam., 3- or 4-loculed; with persistent sepals or sometimes a few caducous; fruiting pedicel 3–4 cm, subglabrous. Fl. Apr, fr. Jun–Aug. 2n = 34*.

Among shrubs, forest margins, thickets; 100--1600 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang.

This species is similar to Pyrus pyrifolia, which differs by its spinulose-serrate leaves, larger, 5-styled flowers, long acuminate sepals, and larger, brownish fruit.