密花马钱 mi hua ma qian

Strychnos confertiflora Merrill & Chun.

Lianas to 10 m. Stems to 4 cm in diam.; branchlets spiny, glabrous. Petiole ca. 1.5 cm; leaf blade ovate, elliptic, or oblong, 8--13 X 3--8 cm, papery, glabrous, base obtuse to rounded, apex acute to acuminate, basal veins 3--5, lateral veins more delicate than midvein, reticulate veins slightly conspicuous on both surfaces. Thyrses axillary and terminal, 1.5--2.5 cm, many-flowered, sparsely pubescent. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicel 2--3 mm, pubescent. Calyx lobes broadly ovate, ca. 1 mm, outside slightly puberulent, apex obtuse. Corolla rotate, 3--4.5 mm, thin to fairly thick, fleshy especially lobes, outside pubescent, inside pubescent at mouth and on base of lobes, tube 1--1.5 mm; lobes ovate-elliptic, 2.5--3 mm. Stamens inserted at corolla mouth, included; filaments short; anthers oblong, ca. 1.2 mm, base bearded, connective mucronate. Ovary ovoid, ca. 1 mm, glabrous or apically with shaggy hairs. Style ca. 2 mm, basally hairy; stigma capitate. Berries orange when ripe, globose, 2--5.5 cm in diam., smooth, thin-walled, 1- or 2-seeded. Seeds orbicular, flat, ca. 1 cm in diam., surface feltlike. Fl. Mar-Jun.

Forests and thickets in mountains; 200--600 m. S Guangdong, Hainan [Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines].