龙荔 long li

Pseudonephelium confine F. C. How & C. N. Ho, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 3: 390. 1955.

Trees, large, evergreen, to 20 m tall, ca. 1 m d.b.h. Branches stramineous when dry, strong, stout, with 5 conspicuous ridges, subglabrous. Leaves with petiole 35-50 cm or longer, axis terete, inconspicuously striate, often with scattered lenticels; leaflets 3-5 pairs, sometimes 2 pairs; petiolules short, 3-8 mm, stout; blades adaxially deep green and shiny, leathery, first pair (near base) often smaller, ovate, others narrowly elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, usually asymmetrical, outer lateral narrower, 9-18 cm or longer, 4-7.5 cm wide, abaxially slightly glaucous and pilose, lateral veins 12-15 pairs, prominent abaxially, base cuneate at side toward leaf base, subrounded or broadly cuneate at side toward leaf apex, apex acute to shortly acuminate. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, erect, nearly as long as leaves, main rachis and branches grooved, densely tomentose. Flowers shortly pedicellate. Sepals ca. 2 mm, leathery. Petals usually absent or 1-4 abnormally developed, often spoon-shaped. Disk matlike, tomentose. Stamens 7 or 8; filaments ca. 3 mm, densely villous below middle part. Ovary 2-lobed, 2-loculed; style slightly short and stout. Drupes ovoid, 2-2.3 cm. Seeds reddish brown, thoroughly embedded in arillodes. Fl. summer, fr. late summer-early autumn.

Forests; 400-1000 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan [Vietnam].