Species: Desmos chinensis
English Name: Chinese Desmos
Chinese Name: 假鷹爪、酒餅葉
Family: Annonaceae
Description:
Climbers to 4 m tall, woody. Branches stout, sparsely hairy when young, with raised grayish white lenticels. Petiole 3-8 mm; leaf blade oblong to elliptic, rarely broadly ovate, 6-14 × 2-6.5 cm, membranous to thinly papery, abaxially glaucous and sparsely appressed hairy, adaxially glossy, secondary veins 7-12 on each side of midvein, base rounded to slightly oblique, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences superaxillary or leaf-opposed, 1-flowered. Flowers 3-6 cm wide, pendulous. Pedicel 2-6.5 cm. Sepals ovate to lanceolate, 4-10 × 2-4.5 mm. Outer petals oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 3-6.5 × 1-2 cm; inner petals lanceolate, 4-7 × 1-2 cm. Stamen connectives apically truncate to rounded. Carpels 25-35; stigmas clavate, apex 2-cleft. Fruiting pedicel 2-6 cm; monocarp stipes 4-14 mm; monocarps ellipsoid or moniliform, 0.8-6 cm × 4-6 mm, with 2-6 joints; joints yellowish brown, subglobose, ca. 7 × 6 mm, sparsely hairy, apex of terminal obtuse to shortly rostrate. Fl. Apr-Oct, fr. Jun-Dec. 2n = 20.
Photos used under a Creative Commons license
References:
Wu ZY, Raven PH, Hong DY (eds) (2011) Flora of China. Vol. 19 (Cucurbitaceae through Valerianaceae, with Annonaceae and Berberidaceae). Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Bot Garden Press, St. Louis