台湾香薷 tai wan xiang ru

Herbs cobwebby pubescent. Stems with numerous ascending branches. Petiole 1.3-1.9 cm; leaf blade papery or ± membranous, ovate-lanceolate, 2.5-6.5 cm, sparsely minute hispid adaxially, sparsely fine cobwebby pubescent abaxially, base rounded to subcuneate, margin coarsely serrate-dentate, apex acuminate; lateral veins ca. 5-paired, conspicuous adaxially. Spikes axillary, 4-ranked when young, secund when mature, solitary, to 2.5 cm, dense, subsessile; bracts broadly spatulate-orbicular, pubescent, apex abruptly acuminate. Flowers minute (open flowers not seen). Calyx pubescent outside, glabrous inside, teeth subequal. Corolla 4-lobed, upper lobe or lip emarginate. Stamens glabrous; anthers distinctly 2-locellate (specimens not seen).

* Taiwan

The 4-ranked bracts in the protologue are an artifact of the immature state of the type collection. This and species 28–33 of this account are very closely related.