屈头鸡 qu tou ji

Capparis koi Merrill & Chun.

Shrubs or vines, (1.3-)2-10 m tall, 4-6 cm d.b.h. New branches shortly brown pubescent, glabrescent, but in petiole and node always with residual trichomes. Stipular spines stout, flat or slightly recurved, apex black, sometimes reduced to papillary raised area. Petiole 5-9 mm; leaf blade elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 3.5-8 × 1.5-3.5 cm, subleathery, midvein abaxially pale yellow, raised, and adaxially narrow and impressed, secondary veins 6-9 on each side of midvein, abaxially nearly flush, and adaxially slightly raised, reticulate veins sparse and not obvious, base cuneate, apex acute to obtuse and often emarginate. Inflorescences axillary and/or terminal, umbelliform corymbs, (1 or)2-5-flowered; peduncle 1-5 cm, stout, often with sharply ridged angles, apex often with (1 or)2(or 3) reduced leaves. Flowers fragrant. Pedicel 1.5-3 cm, stout. Sepals 9-11 × 8-10 mm, glabrous; sepals of outer whorl inwardly concave to navicular, nearly orbicular; sepals of inner whorl elliptic. Petals white, purple, or pink, nearly orbicular to obovate, 1.2-1.7 × 0.7-1.4 cm, glabrous or inside shortly pubescent near base. Stamens 50-70; filaments 2.5-3.5[-4.5] cm; anthers 1.5-2.3 mm. Gynophore 3-5 cm, glabrous; ovary ellipsoid, ca. 2 mm, glabrous; placentae 4; ovules many. Fruit black, globose, 3-5 cm in diam., scabrous, sometimes with a few nodulate verrucose raised areas; pericarp 2-3 mm thick, solid when dry; fruiting pedicel and gynophore 3-5 mm in diam., thickened, woody. Seeds ca. 15 per fruit, nearly polygonal, 1.7-2.4 × 1.2-1.5 × 0.9-1.2 cm. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. (Jul-)Aug-Feb(-Apr).

Slightly dry areas, sandy areas, scattered forests or among shrubs; 100-1000 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan [India (Assam), Malaysia (peninsular), Myanmar, S Thailand, Vietnam].