山苦茶 shan ku cha

Aleurites peltata Geiseler, Croton. Monogr. 81. 1807; Hancea muricata Bentham; Mallotus furetianus Müller Argoviensis; M. maclurei Merrill; M. oblongifolius (Miquel) Müller Argoviensis; Rottlera oblongifolia Miquel.

Shrubs or small trees, 2-8 m tall. Branchlets stellate-hirsute and pubescent. Leaves alternate, sometimes subopposite; stipules oblong, ca. 3 mm, deciduous; petiole 0.5-4.5 cm; leaf blade oblong-obovate or elliptic, 5-18 × 2-6 cm, papery, abaxially stellate-hirsute along midvein, sparsely yellowish glandular- scaly, base obtuse or narrowly cordate, sometimes peltate, with 4 basal glands, margin subentire or repand-denticulate, apex acuminate; lateral veins 8-10 pairs. Male inflorescences racemose, terminal, 6-12 cm; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 2-3 mm. Male flowers 2-5-fascicled; pedicel 2-3 mm; calyx lobes 3, ovate, ca. 1.5 mm, glabrous; stamens 25-45. Female inflorescences racemose, 5-8 cm, with 4-7 flowers; bracts subulate, ca. 2 mm. Female flowers: calyx urceolate, 5-7 mm, stellate-pubescent, 3-denticulate, spathaceous, deciduous; ovary densely puberulent and softly spiny; styles 3, ca. 8 mm, connate at middle, plumose. Capsule 3-locular, 14 mm in diam., pubescent and glandular- scaly, sparsely softly spiny; pedicel ca. 5 mm. Seeds globose, ca. 5 mm in diam., brown marbled. Fl. Feb-Jun, fr. Jun-Nov.

Mountain slopes or valleys, forests, thickets; 200-1000 m. Guangdong, Hainan [India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].

The dried material smells of fenugreek.