毛籽短蕊茶 mao zi duan rui cha

Shrubs 1-3 m tall. Young branches grayish brown; current year branchlets spreading hirsute, indumentum persistent. Petiole 1.5-2 mm, hirtellous; leaf blade elliptic to ovate-oblong, 2-5.5 × 1-2.5 cm, leathery, abaxially pale green and sparsely pubescent, adaxially dark green and hirtellous along midvein, both surfaces becoming dark brown when dry, midvein abaxially raised and adaxially impressed, secondary veins 5-7 on each side of midvein, abaxially raised, and adaxially impressed, base auriculate-cordate, margin serrulate, apex obtuse. Flowers axillary, solitary or paired, 2-2.5 cm in diam. Pedicel ca. 2 mm; bracteoles 2 or 3(or 4), covering pedicel, semiorbicular to suborbicular, 0.5-2 mm, glabrous. Sepals 5(or 6), suborbicular, 4-5 mm, crustaceous, margin broadly membranous and ciliolate. Petals 5-7, white, obovate to obovate-elliptic, 1.2-2 × 0.7-1.2 cm, apex emarginate, basally connate for ca. 2 mm. Stamens ca. 1.2 cm, glabrous; outer filament whorl basally connate for ca. 2 mm. Ovary tomentose, 3-loculed; styles 3, distinct to basal 1/3 connate, ca. 1 cm. Capsule oblate, 5-7 × 7-10 mm, 3-loculed with 1 or 2 seeds per locule; pericarp ca. 1 mm thick. Seeds globose or hemispherical, 4-5 mm in diam., pubescent. Fl. Jan-Feb, fr. Oct-Nov.

● Thickets; 100-500 m. Guangxi (Zhaoping).