Combretum punctatum Blume, Bijdr. 640 (1826)

Species name meaning 'dotted', reffering to the scales on the leaves.

Synonyms

Description
Lianas; stems to ca. 3 cm in diam. Surface scales obvious, white to ferruginous, peltate, ca. 0.2 mm in diam. Branchlets together with petioles glabrous and sparsely to densely scaly. Leaves opposite; petiole 5-12 mm; leaf blade lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, 5-10 x 3-6(-7) cm, both surfaces glabrous, sparsely to densely scaly, abaxially more densely so, base obtuse-rounded, apex abruptly caudate, cauda with rounded or obtuse tip; lateral veins in 4-6 pairs. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, compound, spikes 4-12 cm, usually grouped at branchlet apex and forming a panicle; axes glabrous, densely scaly; distal, flower-bearing part of spikes very condensed, capitate, not longer than 0.5 cm, or broadly cylindric or cylindric, 1-5 cm; bracts caducous, linear, very small. Flowers fragrant. Calyx tube distally funnelform-cupular, 5-7 mm, abaxially glabrous, densely scaly, adaxially with a ring of dense, coarse hairs not or only slightly exserted; lobes 4, broadly triangular, 0.5-1 mm, apex obtuse. Petals 4, white, 1.5-2 mm, clawed; limb obovate, narrowly elliptic, or oblanceolate. Stamens 8, exserted, ca. 4 mm. Fruit mid-brown, variable in shape and size, oblate, suborbicular, broadly ovoid, obovoid, or pyriform, 4-winged, 1.3-4 x 1.3-3.5 cm, glabrous, sparsely to densely scaly. [from Flora of China]

Ecology
Forests, thickets, scrub; up to 1500 m elevation.

Uses

Distribution
From India and Himalaya's into southern China, Indochina, peninsular Malaysia and westerns Indonesia and the Philippines.

Local names
China: Dun lin feng che zi.