软骨边越桔 ruan gu bian yue ju

Shrubs evergreen, 2–4 m tall, sometimes epiphytic. Twigs glabrous; bud scales caducous. Leaves scattered; petiole 4–6 mm; leaf blade elliptic, 7–13 × 4–6.5 cm, leathery, abaxially glaucous, glabrous or sparsely glandular setose on midvein, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 5–8 pairs, fine veins raised on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate to obtuse, decurrent, margin plane, entire or sparsely glandular setose, with 1–3 basal glands per side, apex shortly acuminate. Inflorescences racemose, 2–3.5 cm, glabrous, 8–13-flowered; bracts caducous, elliptic, ca. 1.2 cm. Pedicel 4–12 mm, expanded towards apex; bracteoles caducous, linear, 5–6 mm. Hypanthium glabrous, glaucous; calyx limb 0.7–1 mm, triangular-toothed nearly to base. Corolla pink or red, urceolate, 6–11 mm; lobes ca. 1 mm. Stamens ca. as long as corolla; filaments ca. 1.5 mm, densely pubescent; anthers ca. 3 mm, with 2 erect spurs; tubules ca. as long as thecae or shorter. Style puberulous apically. Berry 10-pseudoloculed, dark purple, with a bloom, 8–9 mm in diam.

Forests, forest margins, sometimes epiphytic on trees, thickets on stony mountain slopes, slopes; 1200–2600 m. SE Xizang, NW and SE Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim].

Lower Taxa

• Vaccinium gaultheriifolium var. gaultheriifolium
• Vaccinium gaultheriifolium var. glaucorubrum C. Y. Wu