白花酸藤果Embelia ribes

  • Scientific Name: Embelia ribes N. L. Burman
  • Ref: Fl. Indica. 62. pl. 23. 1768.
  • English Common Name: white-flowered embelia, false black pepper
  • Chinese Common Name: 白花酸藤果 báihuā suānténgguǒ
  • Family: Primulaceae
  • Subfamily: Myrsinoideae
  • Genus: Embelia
  • Distribution: (0-)100-2000 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Xizang, Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam]
Shrubs scandent. Branchlets angled, longitudinally ridged, densely tawny or rusty papillose-tomentose. Petiole 5-10 mm, marginate to base; leaf blade elliptic, oblong, or narrowly obovate, (3.5-)5-8(-10) × (1.5-)3-3.5 cm, papery, leathery or rarely cartilaginous, glabrous, pellucid or black punctate, base cuneate or rounded, margin revolute, entire, apex acuminate, rarely subacute; lateral veins inconspicuous. Inflorescences terminal, pinnately pyramidal paniculate, (6-) 10-l5(-30) cm; bracts subulate or lanceolate, 1-1.5 mm, sparsely puberulent abaxially, black punctate-lineate, margin entire, sparsely glandular puberulent, apex subulate. Flowers greenish or white, (4 or)5-merous, papery, staminate 2-2.5 mm, pistillate 1.5-2 mm. Pedicel (2-)3-3.5 mm in staminate, 1.5-2.5 mm in pistillate, sparsely to densely papillose puberulent. Sepals deltate, pellucid-punctate, glandular papillose adaxially and on margin, apex acuminate. Petals free, elliptic or oblong, papery, pellucid punctate, densely glandular granulose inside, margin entire, long glandular papillose, apex acute to obtuse. Stamens subequalling petals or slightly exserted to 1 mm in staminate and 2/3 petal length in pistillate; anthers ovate or oblong, base sagittate, apex rounded, connective black punctate. Ovary glabrous. Stigma capitate or 2- or 3-lobed. Fruit red or scarlet, globose or ovoid,(2-)3-4 (-5) mm in diam., smooth, wrinkled when dry, densely black punctate. (Flora of China)

Leave a comment