Brassaiopsis shweliensis W. W. Sm.

Trees, to ca. 8 m tall, hermaphroditic. Branches stout, prickly. Leaves palmately compound, with 6 or 7 leaflets; petiole (6-)10-20 cm; petiolules very short, less than 1 cm, slender, 1-1.5 mm in diam., both surfaces ferruginous tomentose, soon glabrescent; leaflets oblong to slightly obovate, 10-24 × 2-8 cm, leathery, ferruginous tomentose when young, soon glabrescent, secondary veins 12-15 pairs, distinct abaxially, base narrowly cuneate to attenuate, margin apically serrulate, apex long acuminate. Inflorescence lateral, probably ascending, unarmed, ferruginous tomentose or glabrous; primary axis to 10-30 cm, stout; peduncles 2.5-6 cm; umbels 2.5-4.5 cm in diam.; pedicels 1-2 cm; bracts cymbiform, ca. 1.5 cm, persistent. Ovary 2-carpellate. Fruit globose, ca. 7 mm in diam.; styles persistent, ca. 2 mm. Fl. Jun-Jul, Dec, fr. Dec. 2n = 48*.

W Yunnan.

● Evergreen broad-leaved forests on mountain slopes; 1800-2700 m.

Brassaiopsis karmalaica Philipson; B. suberipetala K. M. Feng & Y. R. Li.