Saurauia napaulensis DC.

Trees 4-20 m tall. Branchlets brown pubescent to glabrescent, with setose hairs intermixed with subulate scales. Petiole 2.5-5 cm, pubescent to glabrescent, with minute hairs intermixed with subulate and unguiculate scales; leaf blade narrowly elliptic to oblong-obovate, 13-36 × 7-15 cm, thinly leathery, abaxially sparsely ferruginous tomentose, indumentum caducous or not, sparsely scaly on midvein and lateral veins, adaxially glabrescent, sometimes with scales at base of midvein, lateral veins 28-40(-46) pairs, base obtuse to subrounded to cuneate, margin finely serrate, apex acuminate to acute. Inflorescences 12-33 cm, axillary, sparsely scaly and puberulent; peduncle ca. 1/2 as long as inflorescence, with 1 or 2 bracts at base of each branch; pedicels 1.7-2.5 cm, with 2 nearly opposite bracteoles below middle; bracteoles caducous, lanceolate, 2-4 mm. Flowers pink to purplish, 0.8-1.5 cm in diam. Sepals unequal, outer 3 smaller, elliptic to broadly elliptic; inner 2 larger, broadly elliptic to orbicular, 5-7 mm. Petals oblong, ca. 8 mm, connate at base, recurved at apex. Stamens 50-90. Ovary globose to depressed-globose; styles 4 or 5, connate below middle. Fruit green to yellowish, globose to depressed-globose, ribbed or slightly ribbed. Fl. Jun-Dec, fr. Jun-Dec.

Himalaya (Garhwal to NEFA), Khasia, Mishmi Hills, N. Burma. Thailand, Indo-China, W. China.

Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam].

750-2100 m

Sparse mountain forests, thickets, valleys; 400-3200 m.

Saurauia napaulensis var. montana C. F. Liang & Y. S. Wang; S. napaulensis var. omeiensis C. F. Liang & Y. S. Wang.

Flowering and fruiting from June to December.

Saurauia napaulensis is occurring in S Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan of China, Bhutan, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam.

The phylogenetic relationships within the genus Actinidia and among 3 allied genera Clematoclethra, Saurauia, and Sladenia were examined by means of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (He et al., 2000). Results shown Actinidia be a monophyletic group, and Clematoclethra and Saurauia form another monophyletic group.

Trees 4-20 m tall. Branchlets brown pubescent to glabrescent, with setose hairs intermixed with subulate scales. Petiole 2.5-5 cm, pubescent to glabrescent, with minute hairs intermixed with subulate and unguiculate scales; leaf blade narrowly elliptic to oblong-obovate, 13-36 cm long, 7-15 cm broad, thinly leathery, abaxially sparsely ferruginous tomentose, indumentum caducous or not, sparsely scaly on midvein and lateral veins, adaxially glabrescent, sometimes with scales at base of midvein, lateral veins 28-40 pairs, base obtuse to subrounded to cuneate, margin finely serrate, apex acuminate to acute. Inflorescences 12-33 cm, axillary, sparsely scaly and puberulent; peduncle ca. 1/2 as long as inflorescence, with 1 or 2 bracts at base of each branch; pedicels 1.7-2.5 cm, with 2 nearly opposite bracteoles below middle; bracteoles caducous, lanceolate, 2-4 mm. Flowers pink to purplish, 0.8-1.5 cm in diameter. Sepals unequal, outer 3 smaller, elliptic to broadly elliptic; inner 2 larger, broadly elliptic to orbicular, 5-7 mm. Petals oblong, ca. 8 mm, connate at base, recurved at apex. Stamens 50-90. Ovary globose to depressed-globose; styles 4 or 5, connate below middle. Fruit green to yellowish, globose to depressed-globose, ribbed or slightly ribbed.

Growing in sparse mountain forests, thickets, valleys; 400-3200 m.

S. napaulensis in Nagarkot, Nepal

Saurauia napaulensis is a small to medium tree. Leaves 20–35 cm by 6.5–12 cm, apex acuminate, base rounded, margins with fine teeth; 30-35 pairs of straight prominent veins. Flowers about 1.5 cm in diameter, pink, in branched axillary inflorescences. Fruit a globose berry, about 8 mm in diameter.