小刺山柑 xiao ci shan gan

Capparis liangii Merrill & Chun.

Shrubs or small trees, sometimes scandent. Twigs nearly terete, base with subulate scales, with or without 2-4 mm stipular spines; new twigs glabrous or sparsely shortly pubescent. Petiole 1-2.2 cm; leaf blade oblong-elliptic, oblong-lanceolate, or sometimes ovate-lanceolate, (10-)15-20(-30) × (4-)6-10 cm, membranous when young but leathery when mature, often yellowish green when dry, glabrous, shiny, midvein adaxially slightly raised but central part often grooved, secondary veins (5-)7-10 on each side of midvein, reticulate veins obvious on both surfaces, base cuneate, broadly cuneate, rounded, or sometimes slightly cordate, apex obtuse, rounded, sometimes acute to shortly acuminate, or rarely emarginate. Inflorescences superaxillary rows, 2-7-flowered, above apical axils, with clusters of 1-4 subulate spines 1-1.5 mm between lowest pedicel and petiole. Pedicel ca. 6 mm for basal flowers, ca. 2 cm for apical flowers, pubescent. Sepals ovate to oblong, 6-10 × 3-4 mm, ± equal, glabrous but margin often tomentose, apex acute to obtuse. Petals white, oblong to oblanceolate, 1-2.1 × 0.3-0.7 cm, glabrous, narrowly cuneate, apex almost rounded. Stamens 20-40; filaments (1.5-)1.8-2.5 cm; anthers 1-1.5 mm. Gynophore 2-3.5 cm, glabrous; ovary ovoid to ellipsoid, 2.5-3 mm, with 4 lengthwise grooves; placentae 4; ovules many. Fruit tan, spheroid to ellipsoid, 3-7 × 3-4 cm, surface with 4 slightly obvious to not obvious vertical grooves; pericarp orangish red, ca. 3 mm thick; fruiting gynophore 4-6 mm in diam., woody. Seeds numerous per fruit, dark red, 6-8 × 4-5 × 3-4 mm. Fl. Mar-May, fr. Jul-Aug.

Forests, among shrubs; (400-)1200-2000 m. SW Guangdong, Guangxi (Hepu), Hainan (Baoting), S Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam; Indian Ocean islands].