斑子乌桕 ban zi wu jiu

Basionym: Sapium atrobadiomaculatum F. P. Metcalf, Lingnan Sci. J. 10: 490. 1931. Type: China. Fujian: Shouning, R. C. Ching 2224 (lectotype designated here, A; duplicates, UC, US).

Shrubs 1-3 m tall, glabrous; branchlets slender, longitudinally angular. Leaves alternate; stipules membranous, linear-lanceolate, deciduous; petiole 5-12 mm, bilateral flattened into winged shape, 2-glandular at apex; leaf blade narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, 3-9 × 1.5-3 cm, papery, base broadly cuneate or obtuse, margin entire, apex shortly acuminate, rounded glands near margin and basal lateral veins abaxially; midvein slightly elevated on both surfaces, lateral veins ca. 7 pairs, campylodromous, ascending steeply and running close to edge some distance before termination. Inflorescences terminal, racemes 2-4 cm, female flowers 1 or 2 at base, sometimes absent, male flowers many along upper part. Male flowers: bracts 2- or 3-flowered, ovate to lanceolate, 0.5-2 mm, sparsely serrulate, basal glands reniform, glands at base bilateral, each bract pedicel filamentous, 1-2 mm; calyx cup-shaped, 3-lobed, lobes broadly ovate, serrulate; stamens 2 or 3; filaments very short; anthers globose. Female flowers: pedicels stouter, 3-5 mm; bracteoles 3, central ones lanceolate, ca. 2 mm, lateral ones smaller, attenuately ovate, ca. 1 mm, with 2 basal abaxial glands; sepals 3, ovate, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm; ovary subglobose, ca. 3 mm in diam., smooth; styles short; stigma 3-lobed, revolute. Capsules triangular-globose, ca. 5 mm in diam., with dark brown stripes of spots. Fl. Mar-May, fr. Jun-Sep.

● Dry woods, sparse forests on slopes, brushwood, roadsides; 100-400 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi.