青皮刺 qing pi ci

Capparis flexicaulis Hance; C. glauca Wallich ex J. D. Hooker & Thomson.

Shrubs, sometimes scandent, 0.6-3 m tall. Twigs thick, zigzagged, with dense ash-yellow pubescence when young then glabrescent. Stipular spines 2-5 mm, stout, sharp, recurved. Petiole 3-6 mm, densely shortly pubescent; leaf blade oblong-elliptic, oblong-ovate, or sometimes linear-oblong, 2-5(-7) × (0.8-)1-2(-3.2) cm, herbaceous to subleathery, abaxially with persistent trichomes at least on midvein, adaxially pale green when dry, glabrous or soon glabrescent, and slightly shiny, midvein abaxially raised and adaxially flat but slightly impressed near base, secondary veins 4-6(-9) on each side of midvein and slender, reticulate veins not obvious, base cuneate, rounded, or sometimes slightly cordate, apex obtuse, rounded, or often emarginate. Inflorescences terminal on lateral shoots, subumbellate or shortly racemose, sessile, (6-)10-22(-25)-flowered; rachis 0.5-3.5 cm, densely pubescent. Flowers fragrant. Pedicel 0.8-2 cm, slender, glabrous. Sepals ovate, 3-5 × 3-4 mm; sepals of outer whorl concave, herbaceous, glabrous, margin narrowly membranous; sepals of inner whorl slightly smaller, thin, margin broadly membranous. Petals white, oblong-obovate, 4-6 × 1.5-3 mm, membranous, ± pubescent. Stamens 25-45; filaments 5-6 mm, rather crinkled; anthers ca. 0.5 mm. Gynophore 7-10(-12) mm, slender, often shortly pubescent near base; ovary ovoid, ca. 1.5 mm, glabrous; placentae 2. Fruit dark brown when dry, globose, ca. 1 cm in diam., smooth; fruiting pedicel slender, 1-1.5 cm; fruiting gynophore 4-10 mm. Seeds 1-4 per fruit, 6-8 × 3-4 mm. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Aug-Dec. 2n = 40.

Seasides, slopes, thickets or scattered forests; near sea level to 300 m. S Guangdong, S Guangxi, Hainan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; tropical Africa, NE Australia, Indian Ocean islands, Madagascar].