Aspidopterys nutans

Aspidopterys nutans (Roxb. ex DC.) Juss., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. II, 13: 267 1840. (syn: Aspidopterys lanuginosa (Wall.) A.Juss.; Hiraea lanuginosa Wall.; Hiraea nutans Roxb. ex DC.);
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Himalaya to China (Yunnan) and Indo-China: Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, East Himalaya, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Tibet, West Himalaya as per POWO;
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Climbing shrubs, up to 6 m tall; slender, rusty tomentose. Leaves simple, opposite, decussate; petioles ca. 1.5-3 cm, densely grey-white pubescent; lamina ca. 6-25 x 2.5-8 cm, ovate, elliptic or orbicular, acute or obtuse at base, rounded or acute at apex, entire, subcoriaceous; secondary nerves 5-6 pairs. Inflorescences in axillary or terminal lax panicles ca. 14-30 cm long; Flowers small ca. 8 mm across, pale-yellow; peduncles ca. 2-5 cm long; bracts subulate; sepals ca. 1.5 mm, ovate or broadly elliptic, apex rounded, pubescent; petals ca. 4-5 × 2-3 mm, oblong-obovate, stamens ca. 4 x 2.5 cm, oblong; filaments ca. 1.5 mm long; anthers ca. 1 mm long, ovoid; ovary villous; styles 3, free. Samara ca. 3-4 x 2-3 cm, brown, elliptic to orbicular-oblong, slightly narrow above, retuse at apex. Seed white sericeous; persistent disk shallowly 3-lobed; stalk longer than lobes of disk.
Flowering: August-November. Fruiting: November-December
In primary forests, roadsides; 400-700 m; common.
(Attributions- Ayyappan. N & V. Kokilavani, French Institute of Pondicherry, Compiled from various sources listed in the reference as per India Biodiversity Portal)
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SK 3104 03 November 2021: 7 very high res. images.
Location: Surkhet, West Nepal
Altitude: 523m.
Date: 29 August 2021
Habit : Wild