Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight

Perennial, stem twining, hollow, glabrous except for a band of hairs running along the internodes. Leaves 6.5-15 cm x 5-12.5 cm, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, deeply cordate, acute to acuminate, margin often undulate, sparsely pubescent with short appressed hairs to glabrous above, puberulous on the nerves beneath, basal nerves 5-7, few small conical glands at the base of the midrib. Petiole 2.5-8.0 cm long. Many flowered cymes on 3-15 cm long, peduncle, arising singly at node, puberulous. Pedicel 1.2-1.3 cm long, slender puberulous. Bract up to 8 mm long. Calyx c. 4.5 mm long, lobed almost to the base, ciliate. Corolla white to yellowish-green, c. 6-8 mm long, divided nearly to the base, lobes pubscent within. Corona cupshaped, deeply 5-lobed, lobes oblong, obtuse bearing 5 small scales on the inner faces. Style apex conical, 2-lobed, slightly exserted beyond the stamens. Follicles 7.5-10 cm x 15 cm elliptic-lanceolate, smooth. Seeds 8-9 mm long, oval, brown, compressed; coma 2.5 cm long.

Stems twining, puberulent along 1 side to uniformly puberulent, sometimes glabrescent. Leaves opposite; petiole 2.4-3.5(-8.5) cm, axillary stipulelike leaves sometimes present; leaf blade ovate, 4.5-11(-16) × 2.6-7(-11.5) cm, papery, puberulent, densely so on veins abaxially, base cordate with rounded sinus, apex acuminate; basal veins 5, lateral veins 2 or 3 pairs. Inflorescences racemelike, many flowered, to 23 cm; peduncle 4.5-15 cm. Pedicel 0.9-2.8 cm, puberulent. Sepals lanceolate, 2.2-5.2 × 0.8-2 mm, puberulent; basal glands 5. Corolla white, pale yellow, pink, or purple, rotate; tube short; lobes lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong, 5.5-8(-10) × 2-3 mm, coarsely pubescent to pilose inside. Corona very deeply 5-lobed, white; lobes much longer than gynostegium, elliptic, to ca. 4.5 mm, fleshy, obtuse, with narrowly triangular adaxial appendages. Stigma head conical. Follicles oblong-lanceolate, ca. 8 × 1 cm. Seeds ovate, truncate, ca. 6 × 3 mm; coma ca. 2.5 cm. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Aug-Dec. 2n = 22.

Himalaya (Kashmir to Bhutan), Assam, China.

Distribution: Pakistan (Hazara, Murree), Kashmir, India (Simla, Kumaon), Nepal, Sikkim.

Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].

2000-3700 m

Fl. Per.: July to August.

Bushland on mountain slopes; 2800-3600 m.

Cynanchum saccatum W. T. Wang ex Tsiang & P. T. Li; Diploglossum auriculatum (Royle ex Wight) Meisner; Endotropis auriculata (Royle ex Wight) Decaisne; Vincetoxicum auriculatum (Royle ex Wight) Kuntze.