刺核藤 ci he teng

Young branches slender, densely tomentose, glabrescent. Petiole 5-10 mm, densely tomentose when young; leaf blade narrowly elliptic-obovate, 5-10 × 2.5-5 cm, abaxially appressed strigose, adaxially glabrous except for midvein, lateral veins 3-5 pairs, reticulate near margin, veins conspicuous, base cuneate or narrowly truncate, margin entire or sparsely sinuately toothed, apex obtuse or acute, with mucro. Staminate inflorescences in slender and curved long spikes, axillary, 3-8 cm, puberulent; flowers subglobose, sessile; bractlets subulate, ca. 1 mm; calyx deeply 4-lobed, lobes ovate, ca. 1.5 mm; filaments ca. 0.5 mm; anthers subglobose, ca. as long as filaments, basifixed, dehiscing longitudinally; ovary undeveloped, globose, tomentose when young. Pistillate inflorescences in dense narrow spikes, extra-axillary, 5-8 cm, puberulent; peduncle 1.5-2.5 cm; sepals 4, ovate-oblong, ca. 2 mm, outside densely hairy, apex thick and recurved; stamens absent; ovary ovoid, shorter than calyx, densely tomentose; stigma as wide as ovary. Drupe light red or orange, ovoid, compressed, ca. 1.5 × 1-1.2 cm, apex mucronate, slightly hairy; endocarp with spinose ca. 1 mm protuberances penetrating endosperm. Seeds pendulous, ovoid, ca. 0.8 mm; endosperm ruminate; embryo ovate; cotyledons elliptic, flat. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Sep-Jan.

Sparse woods; low elevations. Hainan [Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam].