新耳草 xin er cao

Hedyotis thwaitesiana Hance, J. Bot. 6: 298. 1868; Anotis thwaitesiana (Hance) Maximowicz.

Herbs, apparently perennial, weak to procumbent in lower parts and ascending in upper parts of stems; stems terete to 4-angled with angles often thickened, glabrous. Leaves sessile or petiolate; petiole to 1.5 mm, puberulent to glabrous; blade drying papery, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 0.8-2.2 × 0.3-1.5 cm, adaxially puberulent or scaberulous at least on midrib and margins, abaxially glabrous, base cuneate to rounded, apex obtuse to acute; secondary veins 2 or 3 pairs or not evident; stipules triangular to ligulate, 1-2 mm, puberulent to hirtellous or glabrous, erose or with 1-3 irregular lobes or bristles 0.5-3.5 mm, often glandular. Inflorescences pseudoaxillary at upper stem nodes and/or occasionally terminal, laxly cymose, several flowered, branched to 1-3 orders, glabrous; peduncles slender, 1.5-3 cm; bracts linear-lanceolate or stipuliform, 1-3 mm; pedicels slender, 2-10 mm. Calyx glabrous; hypanthium portion cupular to obconic, ca. 1 mm; limb lobed to base; lobes triangular, 1.2-2 mm, entire. Corolla white or pale red, campanulate to rotate, outside glabrous; tube 1-1.5 mm, apparently pilosulous in throat; lobes ligulate to narrowly triangular, 2.5-3.5 mm. Capsules compressed globose to compressed turbinate, ca. 2 × 3 mm, glabrous. Fl. Feb-May, fr. May.

● Wastelands or streamsides in valleys. Guangdong.

This species is clearly distylous. W. C. Ko (in FRPS 71(1): 82. 1999) described the corollas as soft hairy outside, but these features have not been seen on the specimens studied.