少脉羊蹄甲 shao mai yang ti jia

Lianas, woody. Young branches and petioles brownish pubescent, later glabrous; tendrils rare. Stipules caducous; peti­ole 0.8-3 cm, slender, grayish pubescent at first, later glabrous; leaf blade shiny on both surfaces, ovate to elliptic, 4.6-10 × 2.5-5 cm, leathery, both surfaces glabrous, primary veins 3-5, veins convex on both surfaces, base rounded, margin entire, apex acuminate. Inflorescence racemose-corymbose, several joined together in a panicle, 9-10 × 5-7 cm, terminal or axil­lary, many flowered, grayish brown pubescent; bracts lanceo­late, 2.5-3 mm, outside pubescent, acuminate; bracteoles linear, 1-1.5 mm, inserted above middle of pedicels. Pedicel 8-15 mm, slender, pubescent. Flower buds broadly ellipsoid, ca. 4 × 3 mm. Receptacle cylindric, ca. 3 mm; calyx lobes 5, not re­flexed, lanceolate, 3 free, other 2 adnate, ca. 2.5 mm, outside pubescent. Petals white, obovate, 4-5 × 2.5-3 mm with a claw ca. 1 mm, abaxially yellowish brown hairy at middle, glabrous along margin, margin crisped. Fertile stamens 3; filaments 5-7 mm, glabrous. Staminodes 7. Floral disk not developed. Ovary shortly stalked, oblique, glabrous; style shorter than stalk, slen­der, glabrous; stigma capitate, small. Legume oblong to strap-shaped, compressed, 9-11 × 3-3.5 cm; valves hard woody, brownish when dry. Seeds 3 or 4, ellipsoid, compressed, 12-18 × 9-14 mm. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Oct.

● Thickets on karst hills; 300-600 m. Guangxi.