Mallotus thorelii Gagnep.

The dried material smells of fenugreek.

Shrubs or small trees, 3-5 m tall. Branchlets densely gray stellate-pubescent. Leaves alternate or subopposite; stipules triangular, ca. 4 mm, pubescent; petiole 5-8 cm, tomentose; leaf blade orbicular-ovate or triangular-ovate, 10-14 × 9-13 cm, papery, adaxially pubescent, scattered glandular-scaly, abaxially gray tomentose, densely glandular-scaly, base rotund, broadly peltate, margin sinuous-denticulate or subentire, apex abruptly caudate; basal veins 5. Male inflorescences usually terminal, unbranched, 8-10 cm, tomentulose. Female inflorescences unbranched, 15-18 cm, tomentulose; bracts long ovate, ca. 4 mm. Female flowers: pedicel ca. 5 mm; calyx lobes 4 or 5, lanceolate, ca. 2 mm, deciduous; ovary tomentose; style 3 mm, plumose. Capsule 3-locular, ca. 10 mm in diam., gray tomentulose, densely shortly softly spiny. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.

S Yunnan [Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, N Vietnam].

Mountain valleys, forests; 1200-1300 m.