Lasianthus hispidulus (Drake) Pit.

59. Lasianthus hispidulus (Drake) Pit. View in CoL — Map 6 View Map 6

Lasianthus hispidulus (Drake) Pit. (1924) View in CoL 393; H.Zhu (2001b) 130; (2002) 99. — Mephitidia hispidulus Drake (1895) 239. —

Lectotype (selected by Zhu 2001b): Eberhardt 3852 ( lecto P), Vietnam. Thai-nguyen .

Lasianthus brevidens Craib (1933) View in CoL 19;(1934) 208; H. Zhu (1998) 151. — Type: Kerr 10833 (holo K; iso BM), Thailand, Rachaburi , Prachuap, 700 m.

Lasianthus bunzanensis Shimizu (1944) View in CoL 301; T. S. Liu & J. M. Chao (1964) 121, f. 3; H. Zhu (1994) 73; H.J.Li & H. Y. Liu (1998) 277, pl. 122; H.S. Lo (1999) 99. — Type: Suzuki 16385 (holo TIU, n.v.), Taiwan, Taipei.

Shrubs, 1–1.5 m high; branchlets terete, c. 2 mm diam, densely brown-villous. Leaves: blades elliptic to ovate-oblong, 7–10 by 3 – 5 cm, thinly coriaceous to chartaceous, apex cuspidate-acuminate or acuminate, base acute or obtuse, glabrous above, densely villous beneath, midrib and nerves flat above, prominent beneath, nerves 4–6 pairs, ascending at an angle of 60–70°, curved to the margin, nervules slightly obscure above, distinct beneath, subparallel; petioles 4–7 mm long, villous. Stipules minute, subulate, c. 1 mm long, hirsute. Cymes sessile; bracts absent. Flowers sessile, clusters; calyx campanulate, 1.5 mm long, densely villous, teeth 5, minute, broad-triangular, c. 0.5 mm long, densely villous outside, glabrous inside; corolla white, 5 –6 mm long, 5-lobed, pilose outside, villous inside. Drupes globose, hirsute, 3– 5 mm diam; pyrenes 5.

Distribution — China, Japan (Ryukyu), Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia (Borneo), Indonesia ( Sumatra, Java, Irian Jaya) and Papua New Guinea.

Note — Lasianthus brevidens from Thailand agrees well with L. hispidulus from Indochina, China ( Hainan and Yunnan). We have not seen the type of L. bunzanensis from Taiwan, but from the original description and the checked specimens from Taiwan it is clear that L. bunzanensis is conspecific to L. hispidulus . This species is very closely related to L. clementis from the Philippines. It is separated from L. clementis only by having densely spreading hairs on branchlets, leaf undersurface, calyx and drupes, while L. clementis has densely more or less appressed hairs on branchlets, leaves beneath, and calyx, drupes appressed-pubescent or subglabrous. Both L. hispidulus and L. clementis have close affinity to L. fordii . They differ from L. fordii only by being densely hairy on branches, leaves beneath, and calyx.