刺通草 ci tong cao

Gastonia palmata Roxburgh ex Lindley, Bot. Reg. 11: t. 894. 1825; Brassaiopsis papayoides Handel-Mazzetti; Fatsia cavaleriei H. Léveillé; Gilibertia palmata (Roxburgh ex Lindley) Candolle; Plerandra jatrophifolia Hance; Trevesia cavaleriei (H. Léveillé) Grushvitzky & Skvortsova; T. palmata (Roxburgh ex Lindley) Visiani var. costata H. L. Li.

Trees, evergreen, to 8 m tall. Trunk to ca. 15 cm d.b.h.; branches prickly, farinose stellate pubescent. Leaves simple; petiole often prickly, 30-70(-90) cm; stipules united into a 2-lobed sheath; blade large, 60-90 cm wide, leathery, both surfaces glabrous or with scattered stellate hairs, lateral veins distinct on both surfaces, deeply 5-9-lobed; lobes narrowly ovate-lanceolate, margin serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence a panicle of umbels, ca. 45 cm, densely farinose stellate pubescent when young, glabrescent; peduncles 4-17 cm; umbels 4-5 cm in diam., 25-45-flowered; pedicels 1.5-2 cm. Calyx rim 1-2 mm, farinose stellate pubescent. Stamens 7-12. Ovary 7-12-carpellate. Fruit subglobose to compressed-globose, 1-1.8 cm in diam., smooth or ribbed; styles united, conic, 2-4 mm, stout, persistent. Fl. Oct, fr. May-Jul.

Mixed forests on mountain slopes; 600-2000 m. S Guangxi, Guizhou, S Yunnan [Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam].

This species is used medicinally and as an ornamental.

Two varieties (Trevesia palmata var. palmata and var. costata, the latter from S Yunnan) have sometimes been distinguished on the basis of minor differences in fruit shape and the presence or absence of ribs on dry fruit, but they do not appear to be worthy of recognition.