Clethra petelotii Dop & Troch.-Marq.

Trees or shrubs, 2–10 m tall, evergreen. Petiole 0.7–2.6 cm; leaf blade elliptic, 7–19 × 1.8–6.5 cm, thickly papery, abaxially densely grayish white appressed stellate-tomentose, base cuneate, margin serrate-denticulate but basal 1/2 and apical acumen entire or occasionally entire throughout, teeth 0–16 per side on larger leaves and 1–15 mm or more apart, apex acuminate; secondary veins 8–15 on each side of midvein. Racemes or raceme branchlets 3–5 per twig, 10–15 cm, densely grayish brown stellate-hirsute, thickest rachis on each twig basally ca. 1.2 mm in diam.; bracts linear-lanceolate to subulate, 2–4 mm. Pedicel 1–2 mm at anthesis. Sepals ovate-deltoid, 1.5–2.5 × 0.8–1.2 mm, densely appressed stellate pubescent, midvein usually abaxially distinct or sepals keeled at anthesis, apex acute to occasionally abruptly acuminate or obtuse. Petals white, 3.5–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm, abaxially smooth, adaxially glabrous or pilose near middle, margin slightly thickened and apically ± entire to fimbriate. Stamens 2.0–3.5 mm, included; filaments glabrous; anthers 1.1–1.3 mm. Ovary hirsutulous, with longer hairs 0.2–0.4 mm. Style 1.5–3 mm at anthesis, glabrous or basally sparsely strigose, apex shallowly 3-lobed to nearly undivided. Fruit unknown. Fl. Aug.

SE Yunnan [N Vietnam].

Sparse evergreen forests; 400–1200 m.