Lagerstroemia villosa Wall. ex Kurz, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 42: 234 (1873)
Species name meaning 'long hairy', reffering to most parts of the plant being whitish hairy.
Synonyms
Murtughas villosa (Wall. ex Kurz) Kuntze
Description
Trees, 10-15[-30] m tall. Bark dark, roughly fissured; branchlets, both surfaces of leaves, and
inflorescence white pubescent. Petiole 2-4[-6] mm; leaf blade ovate to broadly lanceolate or elliptic,
6-10 x 2.5-4 cm, papery to leathery, abaxially soft whitish puberulous when young, glabrescent except
on veins, lateral veins [5 or]6[-8] pairs, base subacute to rounded, apex acute to shortly acuminate,
sometimes mucronate. Panicles 3[-8] cm, nearly globose, densely flowered. Floral tube 5- or 6-merous,
4-5 mm, densely white pubescent, with 5 or 6 prominent undulate winged ribs; wings attenuate on
pedicellate floral base; sepals 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous or slightly granular at apex; annulus absent;
epicalyx absent. Petals white, lanceolate, 1.5-3 mm, not crumpled, much shorter than floral tube,
possibly sometimes missing, not or scarcely clawed. Stamens ca. 25, dimorphic. Ovary glabrous. Capsules
subglobose to narrowly ovoid-oblong, 1.5(-2.2) x ca. 1.1 cm, 3- or 4-valved. Seeds including wing
(3.5-)9-10 mm. [from Flora of China]
Ecology
In forests up to 1000 m elevation.
Uses
Distribution
Sri Lanka and India into southern China and Indochina.
Local names
China: Mao zi wei.
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