Neillia thyrsiflora
Content
Description
Small shrubs, erect, scandent, or creeping.
Leaves ovate, 3-lobed, 4-12 by 2.5-7.5(-ll) cm, base cordate to subtruncate, serrate, 3 main nerves, th® middle one with 5-7 side-nerves, nerves and veins terminating in marginal teeth, glabrous to sparsely hairy.
Stipules membranous, up to 12 by 6.5 mm, ± serrate.
Inflorescence a bracteate compound raceme, the lower of the up to 8 side-branches in the axils of the upper leaves, up to 12(-20) cm long, pedicels up to 2 mm.
Flowers erect.
Sepals ± spreading in anthesis, 3-5 by 1-2 mm including the up to 2(-3) mm long acumen, persistent, indumentum outside as hypanthium and often with occasional glands.
Petals suborbicular to ovate, 1.5-3.5 by 1.5-3 mm, not or shortly clawed, with ciliate margin, early caducous.
Stamens 7-21, filaments up to 1.2 mm, anthers c. 0.5 mm long.
Seeds several, up to 2 mm long.
Notes
Neillia fallax has usually been considered as conspecific with N. thyrsiflora, but Vidal (1963) separated the two on a specific level mentioning as distinguishing characters: shape of inflorescence, number of stamens and ovules, indumentum on leaves, inflorescences, and pistils. In all but one of these characters, however, there is an unbroken continuity and the only possible way to break up the complex into recognizable and definable sub-units is to make use of the indumentum on raceme axis and pedicels. There is no correlation with other characters and the groups are not geographically separated. In view of this the two groups do not seem worthy of specific rank.
Neillia rubiflora, a continental-Asian species, is very closely related but may remain separated, i.a. because of the larger number of stamens (20-40).
Neillia rubiflora, a continental-Asian species, is very closely related but may remain separated, i.a. because of the larger number of stamens (20-40).