台湾草绣球 tai wan cao xiu qiu

Cardiandra alternifolia Siebold & Zuccarini subsp. moellendorffii (Hance) H. Hara & H. Ohba var. binata F. Maekawa; C. densifolia C. F. Wei.

Subshrubs 30-70 cm tall. Stems sparsely pubescent or glabrous. Leaves borne distally on stem, usually 4-8-fascicled; petiole (0.5-)2-5 cm; leaf blade elliptic, narrowly so, or oblong-obovate, (5-)10-15 × (2-)3-6 cm, thinly papery, both surfaces sparsely pubescent, glabrescent, secondary veins 6-11 on both sides of midvein, slender, flat on both surfaces, base narrowly cuneate, margin shortly serrate, apex shortly caudate-acuminate. Inflorescence usually terminal, a corymbose cyme; peduncle elongate. Sterile flowers with sepals 2, ovate, unequal, larger one 1.5-2.5 cm, smaller one ca. 1/2 as large. Fertile flowers with calyx tube cupular, ca. 1 mm; teeth ovate, ca. 0.7 mm. Petals 4 or 5, ovate to broadly so, ca. 3 mm. Stamens 15-19, slightly unequal, subequaling petals. Styles 2 or 3, 1-1.3 mm in fruit. Capsule ovoid, ca. 3 × 2.5 mm. Seeds brown, broadly oblong, broadly ovoid, or broadly obovoid, 0.5-0.7 mm; wings yellowish white, translucent, conspicuously lighter than color of seed body, 0.2-0.3 mm. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Oct.

* Forests in shade; medium altitudes. Taiwan, Zhejiang.