尖花藤 jian hua teng

Richella hainanensis (Tsiang & P. T. Li) Tsiang & P. T. Li.

Climbers to 5 m tall, woody, glabrous except for slightly puberulent leaf blade midvein. Petiole 5-8 mm; leaf blade oblong to oblong-elliptic, 10-21.5 × 3.7-7.5 cm, papery, abaxially glaucous, secondary veins 13-15 on each side of midvein, base shallowly cordate, apex acute to shortly acuminate. Flowers not seen. Monocarp stipes 5.3-7.5 cm, slender; monocarps subglobose, ca. 10 × 8 mm, apex apiculate. Seed 1 per monocarp, brown, subglobose, ca. 8 × 6 mm, testa thin. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Oct.

● Forested slopes; 300-500 m. Hainan (Baoting).

The generic placement of Friesodielsia hainanensis must remain in doubt without knowledge of the flowers. It is listed as Vulnerable (VU D2) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Version 2010.3; http://www.iucnredlist.org; accessed on 8 Oct 2010, as Richella hainanensis).