五膜草科 wu mo cao ke
Hong Deyuan (洪德元)[1]; Thomas G. Lammers[2]
Perennial herbs, ± succulent, without latex-system. Rhizomes long and robust, often ± lignified. Leaves alternate, large, asymmetrical at base. Flowers in a cyme; cymes often cincinnus, single or 2–3, axillary; pedicels short or absent. Flowers actinomorphic except calyx, perfect. Calyx-tube campanulate or tubular; calyx-lobes 5, persistent, often white, unequal in width, often 2 wider, other 3 narrower but equal in width. Corolla adnate to calyx up to upper part of calyx, 5-cleft over half, or nearly totally divided and appearing pelatoid, often white. Stamens 5, alternate with corolla-lobes, inserted at lower part of corolla-tube; filaments glabrous; anthers ovoid or long-ellipsoid, introrse or almost lateral due to connective developed and exserted above anther cells. Ovary inferior, 2-locular; ovules numerous; stigma capitate or conical, entire. Fruit a berry, indehiscent. Seeds numerous, minute, ovoid or ovoid-globose, obviously reticulate.
One genus and ca. 25 species: SE Asia and Papua New Guinea; two species (one endemic) in China.
Pentaphragmataceae and Campanulaceae are not immediately related, although both are in the Asterales. Pentaphragma has quite different flowers, with no hint of the secondary pollen presentation that occurs throughout Campanulaceae s.l. Thus the inflorescence is cymose, usually scorpioid; the sepals are petaloid, with two large ones and three small ones; the corolla is ± deeply lobed; there are nectariferous cavities between septae joining hypanthium to ovary (unique in flowering plants); and the anthers are extrorse (introrse in all Campanulaceae s.l.). In addition, there is no latex; the leaves are distichous, with leaf blades are strongly asymmetric; and the endosperm is starchy, the latter condition being extremely uncommon in Campanulaceae s.l.
Hong De-yuan. 1983. Campanulaceae (Pentaphragmatoideae). In: Hong De-yuan, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 73(2): 174–176.
五膜草属 wu mo cao shu
Morphological characters and geographical distribution are the same as those of the family.
1a. Calyx longer than corolla; flowers 2 at an axil of
bract; inflorescences
curved ............................................................................................................... 1.
P. sinense
1b. Calyx shorter than corolla;
flower one at an axil of bract; inflorescences
straight ............................................................................................................ 2.
P. spicatum
五膜草 wu mo cao
Perennial and succulent herbs, covered with glandular hairs and mixed with stellate hairs on young parts, petioles, abaxial side of leaves, inflorescence axis, bracts, pedicels, and calyx. Rhizomes elongate and robust, ± lignified, up to 30 × 1 cm. Fibrous roots 3 mm in diam. Stems short but robust. Leaves at one side of stems; petioles 3–10 cm; leaf blades ovate, asymmetrical, 10–20 × 5–12 cm, main nerves arcuate, margin entire or with obscure verrucose denticles. Inflorescences 1 or 2, axillary, strongly curved; peduncles 2–4 cm; bracts ovate, with 2 flowers at axil; pedicels 1–2 mm. Calyx-tube campanulate; calyx-lobes broad-elliptic or linear-oblong, 6 × 2–3 mm. Corolla white, 6–7 mm, cleft over half; corolla-lobes long-elliptic. Stames inserted at lower part of corolla-tube; connective above anther cells; anther cells long-ellipsoid, almost laterally longitudinally dehiscent. Stigma conical, almost smooth. Berry obovoid, ca. 9 mm. Seeds ovoid, yellow, obviously reticulate, ca. 0.3 mm. Fl. & fr. May–Nov.
Forests, by streams. S Yunnan (Hekou, Pingbian, Xishuangbanna) [N Vietnam].
直序五膜草 zhi xu wu mo cao
Pentaphragma corniculatum Chun & F. Chun.
Perennial and succulent herbs, rather densely covered with glandular hairs and mixed with stellate hairs on young stems, petioles, abaxial side of leaves, inflorescence axis, bracts and abaxial side of calyx. Rhizomes obliquely running, elongate and robust, up to 15 × 1.5 cm, ± lignified. Roots fibrous, ca. 2 mm in diam. Stems shorts, often with leaves only at one side, usually with remains of retioles. Leaves petioled; petioles 5–15 cm; leaf blades ovate or ovate-orbicular, 10–30 × 6–20 cm, asymmetrical, margin entire or with vwrrucose denticles. Inflorescences cincinnus, single or two, axillary; peduncles with an involucrate bract much smaller than leaves; bracts obovate, ca. 4 mm, each with a single flower at axil; pedicels 1–2 mm. Flowers totally ca. 1.6 cm. Calxy-tube campanulate; calyx-lobes ca. 5 mm, 3-nerved, broader 2 ovate-orbicular, 4 mm broad, rest 3 long-oblong, 2 mm broad. Corolla white or yellow-green, ca. 9 mm, cleft over half; corolla-lobes glabrous, lanceolate, slightly incurved. Connective higher than anther cells. Stigma conical, almost non-ribbed. Berry ellipsoid, ca. 8 mm. Seeds ovoid, obviously reticulate, dark brawn, ca. 0.3 mm. Fl. May–Jul; fr. Oct–Nov.
* Tropical forests in ravines. Guangdong (Xinyi), SE Guangxi (Daxin, Shiwan Dashan), Hainan (Baisha, Baoting).