Brassaiopsis fatsioides Harms

Trees, to ca. 10 m tall, andromonoecious. Branches prickly. Leaves simple, 7-11-lobed; petiole 10-40 cm, subglabrous or sparsely puberulous near apex, unarmed; blade orbicular, to ca. 30 cm wide, membranous or papery; lobes oblanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, or ovate-oblong, divided 2/3-3/4 way to base, distinctly narrowed basally, sometimes forming winged pseudo-petiolules, abaxially slightly ferruginous tomentose or glabrous, adaxially sparsely bristly or subglabrous, base cordate, often deeply so, margin serrulate, apex shortly acuminate. Inflorescence probably terminal, erect, unarmed, stellate pubescent, glabrescent; primary axis to 30 cm; secondary axes to 15 cm, with a terminal umbel of bisexual flowers and usually 1-3 umbels of male flowers; peduncles 2-3 cm; umbels ca. 4 cm in diam.; pedicels (8-)10-30 mm (shorter in male flowers), slender, glabrous or slightly puberulous, subtended by caducous bracteoles 1-2 mm. Ovary 2-carpellate. Fruit blue-black, globose, 5-6 mm in diam.; styles persistent, ca. 2 mm; pedicels in fruit ca. 1.5 cm. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Jan-Feb, Jun-Sep. 2n = 48*.

Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan.

● Forests in valleys or on mountain slopes; 500-2700 m.

Brassaiopsis palmipes Forrest ex W. W. Smith; B. trevesioides W. W. Smith.