Thottea tomentosa (Blume) Ding Hou

Sub woody herb, from creeping base erect to erecto-patent, 10-35 cm; stems one to several or sometimes many together, usually simple. Branches rather slender, c. 5 mm ø, bearing 1-5 (often 2 or 3) foliage leaves at the apical part, furrowed or slightly angular, tomentose. Leaves chartaceous or subcoriaceous, variable in shape and size even on one plant, ovate, elliptic or broadly elliptic, elliptic-oblong, ob-ovate or oblanceolate, rarely suborbiculate, (4-) 7-18 (-24) by (1.7-) 3-15 (-17) cm; apex acute, acuminate, or obtuse; base obtuse, rounded, sometimes subcordate or cordate; glabrous above, densely pubescent, tomentose or villous beneath especially when young, sometimes glabrescent; basal nerves 2, rarely 3 pairs, starting from the base and ascending upward to more than halfway, similar to the lateral nerves, the outer 1 or 2 rather faint and short, close to the margin; lateral nerves 4-9 pairs, joined by rather closely reticulate and loosely crossbar-like veins and veinlets, elevated beneath, distinct sometimes obscure above; petiole 5-15 mm, pubescent. Inflorescences near the base of the branches, sometimes hidden under fallen leaves, in the axils of bracts or not well developed (small) leaves, often simple and spiciform, up to c. 12 cm long, pubescent; bracts lanceolate to linear, up to c. 10 mm long, pubescent. Pedicel and ovary 8-22 mm long, densely pubescent. Perianth pale yellow, yellow with purple, purple, pale red, or red (colour changing with age of the flower), urceolate-campanulate, 6-12.5 mm long, 12-16 mm ø, with longitudinal and loosely reticulate veins, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; tube 3-5 mm long, with a thin 'disk' adnate to the inner side, slightly protruding above the tube (c. 0.5 mm) like a narrow rim; lobes broadly ovate, suborbicular, or subreniform, 3-7.5 by 4-8 mm. Stamens 6, in 1 whorl; filaments glabrous, 1 — 1.5 mm; anthers oblong, 1.5-2 mm long, connective slightly produced beyond the anthers. Style column c. 2 mm long; lobes 3 (or 4), 1.5-2 mm, hairy often at the apical part. Capsule slender, 3.5-5 (-15), often obscurely 4-angular, pubescent, glabrescent. Seeds oblong, trigonous, c. 4 by 2 mm, rugose.

In shady, moist places in forest, sometimes in bamboo or teak forest, occasionally in secondary forest, rarely on limestone, locally sometimes common, from the lowland up to 1200 m. Fl. fr. often all the year round.

Uses. In Malaya the plant is used for poulticing skin-complaints and boils (along with Illigera). In Java the stems and leaves may be pounded and the juice swallowed for coughs. The roots and leaves are used as a diuretic during confinement. In W. Java also used against snake-bites ( BURKILL Dict. 1 1935 189 HEYNE Nutt. Pl 1927 596 ).