平武小檗 ping wu xiao bo

Shrubs, deciduous, 2-2.5 m tall. Branches dark gray, terete, sparsely black verruculose; shoots dark purple; spines absent or 3-fid, 0.6-2 cm. Petiole ca. 1 cm; leaf blade abaxially pale green, becoming brown when dry, shiny, adaxially deep green, broadly elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 4-9 × 1.5-3.5 cm, few leaves 1.5-2 cm × 6-8 mm, thickly papery, abaxially glabrous, not pruinose, lateral and reticulate veins obviously raised, adaxially with slightly impressed midvein, lateral and reticulate veins conspicuous, base cuneate, margin 20-35-spinose-serrate on each side, apex acute or rounded, obtuse. Inflorescence a raceme, 20-35-flowered, 5-14 cm including peduncle 1-2 cm, glabrous. Pedicels 2-3 mm; bractlets ovate-lanceolate, 2-3 mm. Sepals in 4 whorls; outer sepals ovate, ca. 1.1 × 0.7 mm, apex acuminate; median outer sepals broadly lanceolate, ca. 2 × 1 mm; median inner sepals ovate-elliptic, ca. 3 × 2 mm; innermost sepals elliptic, ca. 5 × 3.2 mm. Petals in 2 whorls, base subclawed, with separate glands; outer petals obovate-oblong, ca. 4 × 2 mm, apex slightly emarginate; inner petals elliptic, ca. 4.2 × 2.2 mm, apex entire. Stamens ca. 3 mm; anther connective not prolonged, truncate. Ovules 2, shortly funiculate. Berry red, ovoid-ellipsoid, 10-12 × 5-7 mm, not pruinose, style not persistent. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Sep.

● Forests, forest margins; ca. 1800 m. Sichuan.