短柄白珠 duan bing bai zhu

Leucothoë brevistipes C. Y. Wu & T. Z. Hsu, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 23: 315. 1985; L. griffithiana C. B. Clarke var. sessilifolia C. Y. Wu & T. Z. Hsu; L. sessilifolia (C. Y. Wu & T. Z. Hsu) C. Y. Wu & T. Z. Hsu.

Shrubs (0.8–)2–4 m tall. Twigs brown, trigonous, winged, glabrous. Leaves scattered; petiole 2–4 mm, glabrous; leaf blade ovate or oblong-ovate, 7–18 × 4–8 cm, leathery, abaxially shortly brown glandular setose, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 4–8 pairs, fine veins raised abaxially, impressed adaxially, base auriculate-cordate, margin irregularly serrate, apex acuminate or slightly caudate. Inflorescences axillary and terminal, racemose, 6–10 cm, many flowered, pubescent; bracts ovate, cucullate, ca. 7 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially densely puberulous; fruit stalk 3–6 mm, pubescent; bracteoles 2, median, ovate-lanceolate, ca. 2 mm, ciliolate. Flowers unknown. Calyx at fruiting red to rufous; capsule globose, 5–8 mm in diam. Fr. Oct–Mar.

Forests, mountain slopes, riversides; 1000–2800 m. SE Xizang (Mêdog).

Leucothoë brevistipes and L. griffithiana var. sessilifolia were based on the same type (Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 74-3951, holotype, KUN). In FRPS (57(3): 22. 1991), the name L. sessilifolia was used for the species, incorrectly citing as the place of publication that of L. brevistipes, but effectively publishing a new combination because L. griffithiana var. sessilifolia was also cited with a full and correct reference.