耳苞鸭跖草 er bao ya zhi cao

Herbs perennial. Stems erect, to 1.4 m, glabrous except sparsely hairy in a line distally. Leaf sheaths hirsute-ciliate at mouth, ciliate in a line along 1 side, with red lines; petiole short, ca. 3 mm; leaf blade elliptic or lanceolate, 2--4(--6) × 1--2 cm, adaxially sparsely scabrid, abaxially sometimes pubescent, or glabrous on both surfaces. Involucral bracts borne opposite leaves, 1(--3) aggregated at apex of each branch, with ca. 5 mm long stalk, funnelform, ca. 1 cm, glabrous or slightly white hispid, proximal margins connate, apex acute. Cincinnus 1; proximal branch undeveloped; distal branch with 2--5 small, bisexual flowers. Sepals 3--4 mm, membranous. Petals white, 2 longer ones ca. 7 mm, proximal one ca. 3 mm. Capsule globose, trigonous, ca. 4 mm, 3-valved, or 2-valved with posterior valve indehiscent. Seeds 1 per valve, gray-brown, ellipsoid, ca. 3.5 mm, smooth, flat on 1 surface. Fr. Nov.

Hill forests, streamsides in ravines. S Fujian (Zhangpu Xian), Guangdong, Taiwan [Indonesia; W Oceania].