微花藤 wei hua teng

Branchlets terete, densely rust-colored soft pubescent; old branches angular, occasionally very sparsely lenticellate, with axillary or extra-axillary tendrils, sometimes opposite leaves. Petiole 1-2 cm, densely rust-colored pubescent; leaf blade ovate or broadly ovate, 5-15 × 2-10 cm, abaxially densely yellow spreading pubescent, adaxially rust-colored pubescent only on midvein and lateral veins, lateral veins 3-5 pairs, tertiary veins subparallel, veins prominent abaxially, conspicuous adaxially, base subrounded to shallowly cordate, oblique, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Inflorescences shortly pedunculate, densely yellow-brown tomentose; staminate corymbs dense, sometimes combined into large panicles; pistillate few flowered. Staminate flowers small, subglobose in bud; calyx very short, ca. 0.5 mm, deeply 5-lobed, lobes triangular, outside densely rust-colored pubescent; corolla yellow, 5-lobed, united near base, lobes oblong, 2.5-3.5 mm, outside densely rust-colored pubescent, apex with caudae ca. 1 mm, densely white ciliate, incurved; stamens 5, light yellow, 1-1.5 mm; filaments very short; anthers oblong-obovoid; ovary setiform-villous. Pistillate flowers: calyx larger; ovary with a pedicel, ovoid, laterally compressed, densely villous; style short; stigma apex slightly concave. Drupe red when mature, ovoid-globose, 2-2.6 × 1.2-2 cm, pulp thick, laterally compressed, pubescent, polygonous reticulate-lacunose when dry. Fl. Jan-Apr, fr. May-Oct.

Sparse woods in valleys; 400-1000(-1300) m. S Guangxi, S Yunnan [NE India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, S Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].

The roots are used in Guangxi for curing rheumatalgia.