河口苹婆 he kou ping po

Shrubs. Branchlets glabrous, grooved. Petiole swollen at both ends, 5-12 cm, glabrous; leaf blade long elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, 15-45 × 12-18 cm, papery, drying greenish, abaxially and adaxially glabrous, lateral veins 17-20 on each side of midrib, connected submarginally, venation prominently raised on both surfaces, base rounded, apex acuminate or caudate. Inflorescence paniculate, axillary, slender, 10-34 cm, minutely villous. Flowers sparse. Pedicels slender, 5-10 mm. Epicalyx lobes linear, ca. 3 mm, caducous. Calyx divided to near base, both surfaces stellate villous, lobes linear-lanceolate, ca. 20 mm, apex acuminate, incurved and cohering apically with each other. Androgynophore glabrous. Male flowers: androgynophore slender, curved downward. Anthers 10. Female flowers: ovary globose, densely yellow-white tomentose. Style curved. Fruit unknown.

S Yunnan (Hekou) [Vietnam].

This species is characterized by its large and glabrous leaves and lax flowers. The sepals enlarge after flowering.