毛枝连蕊茶 mao zhi lian rui cha

Thea trichoclada Rehder, J. Arnold Arbor. 8: 176. 1927; Camellia trichoclada f. leucantha P. L. Chiu; Theopsis trichoclada (Rehder) Nakai.

Shrubs 1-2 m tall, many branched. Young branches grayish brown, glabrous; year-old branchlets reddish brown, indumentum persistent; current year branchlets slender, with small leaves set closely together and distichously arranged, densely yellow spreading villous. Petiole 1-1.5 mm, villous; leaf blade ovate to elliptic-ovate, 1.2-2.5 × 0.6-1.3(-1.7) cm, thinly leathery, abaxially pale green and glabrous, adaxially dark green and hirtellous along midvein, midvein raised on both surfaces, secondary veins ca. 6 on each side of midvein, abaxially obscure, and adaxially slightly raised, base rounded to subcordate, margin crenulate-serrulate, apex obtuse to slightly emarginate. Flowers axillary or subterminal, solitary or paired, ca. 2 cm in diam. Pedicel 2-4 mm, glabrous; bracteoles 4 or 5, semiorbicular to broadly ovate, 0.5-1 mm, glabrous. Calyx shallowly cupular, 2-2.5 mm; lobes broadly ovate to suborbicular, 1-2 mm, glabrous, margin ciliolate. Petals 5 or 6, white, pink in bud, obovate to obovate-elliptic, 0.8-1.5 cm, basally connate for 3-4 mm. Stamens 1-1.2 cm, glabrous; outer filament whorl basally connate for 5-6 mm into a cup. Ovary ovoid, 1.5-3 cm, glabrous, 3-loculed; style 0.9-1.2 cm, apically 3-lobed. Capsule subglobose, ca. 3 cm in diam., 1-loculed with 1 seed; pericarp green to pink, thinly leathery. Seed pale brown, globose 7-8 mm in diam. Fl. Nov-Dec, fr. Sep-Oct.

● Forests, thickets; 200-800 m. E Fujian, S Zhejiang.