皱叶杜茎山 zhou ye du jing shan

Maesa indica (Roxburgh) A. de Candolle var. retusa Handel-Mazzetti.

Shrubs 1-3 m tall. Branchlets and leaves densely brown scaly, glabrescent. Branchlets subterete, 2-3 mm in diam.; pith solid. Petiole canaliculate, 2-3.5 cm; leaf blade broadly obovate, 6-16 × 5-12.5 cm, leathery, rugose, base broadly obtuse to acute, margin serrulate, apex cuspidate-acuminate, acumen 4-6 mm; lateral veins 8-12 on each side of midrib, ending in subapiculate teeth, submarginal vein absent. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate, 3-4 cm, glabrous or puberulent; bracteoles triangular ovate, acute. Flowers creamy yellow, 2-3 mm. Pedicel ca. 1 mm. Calyx lobes broadly ovate, ca. 0.7 mm, orange punctate-lineate, margin entire and ciliate, apex acute or obtuse. Corolla campanulate; lobes as long as tube, ovate or suborbicular, subentire, obtuse or rounded at apex, orange punctate-lineate. Stamens inserted at middle of corolla tube; filaments very short; anthers ovoid. Pistil included. Style cylindric; stigma lobed. Fruit ovoid, ca. 3 mm in diam., somewhat succulent, pellucid punctate-lineate, slightly longer than persistent calyx lobes. Fl. Jul, fr. Oct.

Mixed forests, scrubs, stream banks, shady places; 2000-2800 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [India]

Leaf apex in var. retusa was said to be obtuse, truncate, or slightly retuse, and the taxon probably merits recognition.