密花胡颓子 mi hua hu tui zi

Shrubs, straggling. Axillary branches sometimes spine-tipped. Petiole 5-11 mm; leaf blade elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 4.7-11 × 2.3-4.2 cm, abaxially with scales dense, silvery and/or scattered, brownish, adaxially glabrescent, lateral veins 5-11 per side of midrib, base rounded or cuneate, margin obscurely undulate, apex shortly acuminate or subacute. Inflorescence to 8-flowered. Pedicel 1-3 mm. Fruiting pedicel ca. 9 mm. Flowers silvery brown, scaly. Calyx tube tubular, 4-angled, [3-]4.5-9.5 mm, constricted above ovary; lobes ovate, 2-3 mm. Stamens inserted in throat or on narrow annulus, exserted; filaments ca. 1 mm; anthers 0.8-1.2 mm. Style hairy. Drupe ± ellip soid, 1.3-1.8 × 0.7-1 cm. Fl. Oct-Nov, fr. Feb-Mar. 2n = 28.

Subtropical forests, dense forests; near sea level to 2100 m. Guangxi, Yunnan [Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam].

The fruit are valued because they ripen very early in the year when few other fruit are available. They are eaten fresh, usually with sugar, or are used in preparing sweet drinks. The fruit pulp, roots, and leaves are also used medicinally.