莲叶桐 lian ye tong

Biasolettia nymphaeifolia C. Presl, Reliq. Haenk. 2: 142. 1835 ["nymphaeaefolia"]; Hernandia peltata Meisner.

Trees. Bark smooth. Petiole nearly as long as blade; leaf blade peltate, ovate or orbicular-cordate, 20-40 × 15-30 cm, papery, glabrous, 3-7-veined, base rounded and cordate, apex acute. Peduncle 6-20 cm. Panicle axillary; involucral bracts 4, elliptic to obovate, 2-6 × 1-3.5 mm. Flowers axillary, 3 together in a corymb, lateral flowers staminate, central one pistil- late. Staminate flowers: pedicel tomentose; tepals 6, in 2 series; stamens 3; filaments with 2 basal glands, ca. 1 mm. Pistillate flowers: pedicel absent; tepals 8, in 2 series; style ca. 3 mm, papillose; stigma dilated, irregularly toothed; surrounding glands 4, ca. 1 mm. Fruit drupaceous, urn-shaped, costate, 3-4 cm in diam. Fl. and fr. year-round. 2n = 40.

Sparse forests; near sea level. E and NE Hainan, S Taiwan [Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; E Africa and east to the Pacific].

The name Hernandia sonora Linnaeus was misapplied to this species in FRPS (31: 465. 1982). True H. sonora is distributed in tropical America.