小钩叶藤 xiao gou ye teng

Stems clustered, to 15 m, to 2 cm in diam., thickening at apex to 6 cm in diam. on older plants. Leaf sheaths green, with whitish tomentum initially, with yellowish spines to 1 cm, solitary or usually borne in short rows; petioles absent or to 2 cm; rachis 1-1.5 m; pinnae 25-30 per side of rachis, broadly lanceolate, with prominent mid- and submarginal veins, margins without spines, irregularly arranged in clusters of 2 or 3 pinnae, spreading in different planes, gray abaxially and adaxially initially; middle pinnae 10-30 cm, 3-6.5 cm wide at mid-point; cirri to 1.5 m. Inflorescences several per stem, branched to 2 orders, with several pendulous primary branches, these 0.5-0.7 m; rachillae subtended by prominent, ± diamond-shaped bracts 2.2-2.5 × ca. 1.3 cm, glabrous abaxially; male flowers with 6 stamens; female flowers not seen. Fruits globose to ellipsoid, beaked, to 2 cm in diam.; fruit scales with apices minutely bristly initially, these wearing off with age.

● Lowland rain forests; 300-1000 m. Hainan.

There are no qualitative differences between this species and Plectocomia pierreana. However, given the few fragmentary collections in herbaria, it is perhaps better to retain it until more material becomes available.