孔药楠 kong yao nan

Syndiclis hongkongensis N. H. Xia et al., J. Trop. Subtrop. Bot. 14: 75. 2006.

Trees up to 16 m tall, ca. 90 cm d.b.h. Branchlets reddish brown. Buds ca. 3 mm, minutely puberulent. Petiole slender, 1-2 cm, flat adaxially; leaf blade abaxially pale green and glaucous, adaxially dark green, elliptic, 6-10 × 2.5-4 cm, leathery, glabrescent, pinninerved, midrib and lateral veins brownish, prominent abaxially, flat adaxially, lateral veins in 4 or 5 pairs, reticulate veinlets dense, base cuneate, asymmetric, margin entire, apex acuminate, acumen sharp. Inflorescence shortly pedunculate, slender, 2-3.5 × to 1 cm, tomentose; peduncle to 0.5 cm, tomentose; bracteoles linear to triangular, ca. 3 × 1 mm, rusty tomentose. Pedicel 2-4 mm. Flowers greenish yellow, globose in bud, to 1.5 mm. Tepals 6, densely tomentose. Stamens 6, in 2 whorls, subsessile, slightly exserted, tomentose. Staminodes 6, ca. 0.5 mm. Style tomentose at base. Fruit yellowish brown, to 4 cm in diam., with persistent accrescent tepals at base when young; pericarp woody, ca. 2 mm thick; fruiting pedicel ca. 2 cm, thickened underneath fruit. Fl. and fr. Oct.

● Evergreen broad-leaved forests; 400-500 m. Hong Kong (Tai Mo Shan).

This species is very rare and its conservation status is Critically Endangered (CR B2ab(v)). It occurs in the Country Park of Hong Kong under statutory protection.