竹叶胡椒 zhu ye hu jiao

Climbers glabrous except for rachis, dioecious. Flowering stems slender, without evident ridges when dry. Petiole 4-6 mm, sheathed at base only; leaf blade lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 4-8 × 1.2-2.5(-3) cm, thickly papery, finely glandular, often drying pale brown, base slightly tapered or rounded, symmetric, apex long acuminate; veins (4 or)5, apical pair arising 1-1.5 cm above base, alternate, sometimes 1 inconspicuous, looped 2/3 way up; reticulate veins inconspicuous. Spikes leaf-opposed. Male spikes yellow, ca. 1/2 as long as leaf blades, usually 2-4 cm × ca. 1.5 cm; peduncle ca. as long as petioles or slightly longer; bracts orbicular, ca. 0.8 mm wide, peltate, margin not entire, ± sessile to shortly stalked. Stamens 3; filaments slightly longer than anthers; anthers reniform. Female spikes to 1.5 cm at anthesis; peduncle slightly longer than petioles; rachis hairy; bracts as in male spikes. Ovary distinct; stigmas 3 or 4, ovate-acuminate, short. Drupe drying red, globose, 2-2.5 mm in diam., smooth. Fl. Apr-Jul.

* Forests, on rocks or trees; 300-1200 m. Guizhou, SE Hubei, C and N Jiangxi, NE and SE Sichuan