粤西绣球 yue xi xiu qiu

Hydrangea brevipes Chun; H. hedyotidea Chun; H. kwangsiensis var. hedyotidea (Chun) C. M. Hu ex C. F. Wei.

Shrubs 1-3 m tall. Branchlets brownish, terete, glabrous. Petiole 1-3 cm, base enlarged and enveloping stem; leaf blade lanceolate to broadly so, slightly asymmetric, 9-20 × 1.5-5.5 cm, papery, abaxially slightly appressed puberulous, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 6-8(-11) on both sides of midvein, thin, abaxially conspicuous, margin slightly reflexed and subentire or sparsely denticulate, apex caudate-acuminate. Inflorescences corymbose cymes, apex truncate; peduncle 6-12 cm; branches 3, spreading with central one much shorter than others, densely appressed pubescent or glabrous. Sterile flowers with sepals (3 or)4(or 5), white, ovate, unequal, 1-3 × 1-2 cm, margin entire, apex rounded to emarginate. Fertile flowers with calyx tube long turbinate, pubescent; teeth ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.7-2 × 1-1.2 mm. Petals reflexed after flowering, blue to purple-red, long elliptic, 3-3.5 × 1.5-2 mm. Stamens 10, equaling or slightly longer than petals; anthers oblong, 1-1.5 mm. Ovary ca. 1/5 superior. Styles 3, spreading to suberect, subulate, 2-2.5 mm in fruit; stigmas capitate, small. Capsule long turbinate, 3-4.3 × 2-3 mm, projected apical part 0.5-0.8 mm. Seeds brown-yellow, ovoid, obovoid, or ellipsoid, 0.4-0.5 mm, wingless or sometimes shortly winged at one or both ends; seed coat net veined. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Aug-Nov.

* Dense to sparse forests in valleys, trailsides on mountain slopes; 600-1500 m. N Guangdong, N Guangxi, SE Guizhou, SE Hunan.

This species is very close to Hydrangea stenophylla; the relationship between the two species needs further study.