梵净山菝葜 fan jing shan ba qia

Smilax laevis Wallich ex A. de Candolle var. vanchingshanensis F. T. Wang & Tang, Sinensia 5: 424. 1934.

Vines climbing. Stem branched, to 5 m, woody, sometimes sparsely prickly. Petiole 1--2 cm, narrowly winged for 1/5--1/3 its length; abscission zone at middle; tendrils well developed. Leaf blade ovate-oblong to lanceolate, 8--16 × 4--9 cm, adaxially slightly shiny, main veins 5. Inflorescence of 1(or 2) umbels, basally prophyllate; peduncle 1--2(--3) cm, proximally articulate when inflorescence of 1 umbel; umbels of both sexes 10--40-flowered, base thickened. Male flowers: tepals yellowish green, 7--8 × 0.8--1.6 mm; stamens 7--8 mm; filaments basally connate, forming a short column ca. 1 mm. Female flowers: tepals 3--4 × ca. 0.5 mm; staminodes 6. Berries ca. 9 mm in diam. Fl. Sep--Oct, fr. Dec--Feb.

* Open forests, forest margins, grassy slopes; 400--1400 m. Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan.