Ancistrocladus tectorius Merrill

Juvenile plants unknown but probably erect. Adult stems climbing to 20 m high; lateral branches with recurved to spiraling hooks. Stipules tiny, mostly caducous with saddlelike scars on branches; leaves at branchlet apices elliptic to obovate, 7-38(-50.2) × 2.1-9.3(-11.7) cm, leathery, both surfaces frequently with small, white, orbicular pits, base attenuate and decurrent, apex rounded or rounded-obtuse, rarely acute; midvein prominent abaxially, impressed adaxially, lateral and reticulate tertiary veins tenuous, slightly prominent on both surfaces. Inflorescence lax to congested, paniculate, lateral among leaves at apices of branches; bracts triangular to ovate, 0.2-2.4 × 0.2-1.5 mm, abaxially eglandular or with 1 or 2 circular glands, margin fimbriate-erose, apex acute. Pedicel 0.3-3 mm. Sepals 5, at base shortly decurrent on ovary, suborbicular to elliptic-oblong, slightly unequal, 3.2-5.5 mm, outside eglandular or with 1-4 shallowly cupular glands below middle, inside with white orbicular small pits near base, apex rounded. Petals 5, convolute, connate basally, suborbicular to obliquely elliptic, 5-6 mm, apex acute, usually involute. Stamens in 1 whorl, 5 longer than others; filaments wider basally, dimorphic: shorter ones 0.3-1.2 mm, longer ones 1.1-2 mm. Ovary fully inferior; styles 3, erect, ca. 1 mm; stigmas ca. 0.2 mm. Nut red, obconic, sides 5-ridged by decurrent margins of accrescent sepals, 5-9 mm, 5-10 mm in diam.; persistent sepals spreading, narrowly oblong to spatulate, unequal, larger 3 sepals 3-5.6 × 1-1.7(-2.5) cm, smaller 2 sepals 2-3(-4) × 0.5-1.2(-1.9) cm, veined, apex rounded. Seeds subglobose. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Jun [fl. and fr. year-round outside of China].

Evergreen tropical forests in valleys and on slopes; 500-700 m [sea level to 1600 m outside of China]. Hainan [Cambodia, India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam].

Bembix tectoria Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 1: 282. 1790; Ancistrocladus carallioides Craib; A. cochinchinensis Gagnepain; A. extensus Wallich ex Planchon; A. hainanensis Hayata; A. harmandii Gagnepain; A. pinangianus Wallich ex Planchon.

Ancistrocladus tectorius is a species in the monogeneric family Ancistrocladaceae found in China (Hainan), Cambodia, India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Vietnamese name is trung quân lợp nhà; Chinese: 钩枝藤, gou zhi teng.

Climbing A. tectorius showing tendrils