广西马蓝 guang xi ma lan

Pteracanthus guangxiensis (S. Z. Huang) C. Y. Wu & C. C. Hu.

Herbs to 1 m tall, perennial, anisophyllous. Stems erect or ascending, densely pubescent, soon glabrescent. Petiole 0.3-3.5 cm, densely pubescent; leaf blade elliptic, smaller of pair 4-9 × 2.3-4.5 cm and larger one 9-14(-18) × 3.3-6(-8) cm, abaxially pale green and slightly pubescent, adaxially green, glabrous, and densely covered with prominent ca. 0.5 mm cystoliths, secondary veins 4-8 on each side of midvein, base cuneate, margin entire or slightly undulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, spikes, 4-8 cm; peduncle ca. 4 cm, densely pubescent; rachis densely pubescent, usually with 2-6 nodes; bracts oblong to lanceolate, 10-13 × 2-3 mm, persistent, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous, margin ciliate, apex acuminate to caudate; bracteoles oblong to lanceolate, 11-16 × 2-3 mm, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous, margin ciliate, apex acuminate to caudate. Flowers 0.8-1.2 cm apart on rachis. Calyx ca. 1 cm, 5-lobed almost to base; lobes linear, ca. 9 × 1 mm, equal, outside pubescent, inside glabrous, margin ciliate from middle apically, apex acute. Corolla purple, 3.5-4 cm, ventricose, outside glabrous, inside glabrous except for trichomes retaining style; tube basally cylindric and ca. 3 mm wide for ca. 1.2 cm then gradually widened to ca. 1.4 cm at mouth; lobes oblong, ca. 5 × 5 mm, unequal, apex emarginate. Stamens 4, included; filaments glabrous, shorter pair ca. 3 mm, longer pair ca. 6 mm; anther thecae oblong, 2.5-3.5 × ca. 2 mm. Ovary oblong, ca. 3 mm, pilose at tip; style 2.5-3 cm, villous; stigma linear, glabrous. Capsule not seen. Fl. Oct-Dec.

● Shaded valleys; 200-400 m. Guangxi (Liujiang).

This species is used medicinally.