Lonicera confusa (Sweet) DC.

Caprifolium confusum (Sweet) Spach, Lonicera dasystyla Rehder, Lonicera multiflora Champ. ex Benth., Lonicera telfairii Hook. & Arn., Nintooa confusa Sweet

Caprifoliaceae

Dasystyle honeysuckle, Tonkinese honeysuckle, Wild honeysuckle

The species is native to southern China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Hainan), Nepal and North Vietnam.

In its native range, it is found in scrub, margins of mixed forest, mountain slopes, river banks, roadsides, plains and terraced field banks from 300 to 800 m elevation. In North Vietnam, it is commonly found in limestone mountains of Ha Tay, Hoa Binh, Ha Nam and Ninh Binh (Le and Nguyen 1999). The species is hygrophilous and sun loving.

Flowers are used as food in China and Taiwan (Chau and Wu 2006).

A twining herb with greyish, pubescent or glabrous stems and branches, younger tender branches reddish and pubescent. Leaves are opposite, oval–lanceolate, 2–8 cm long by 1–4 cm wide with rounded bases and acuminate apices, glabrous adaxially and pubescent abaxially (Plate 1) on furrowed, slightly flattened petioles (4–10 mm) without large sessile orange glands. Older leaves (lower) are lobate while young leaves are entire. Inflorescence consists of 2-flowered axillary cymes with fragrant white flowers (Plate 2), 2.5–4 cm by 1–2.5 mm across, changing to yellow after anthesis; flowers have acuminate minute bracts, short calyx tube, 2–2.5 mm long with short triangular calyx lobes; corolla white, tinged with purple-red near base, later yellowish, 2–3.5 cm, bilabiate, corolla tube 1.4–1.7 cm, outside slightly adpressed pubescent or glabrous, inside densely pubescent on upper lip; lobes oblong–lanceolate, 2 lateral lobes deep to over 1/3, lower lip narrowly linear; stamens 5 subequaling corolla, filaments sparsely pubescent at base, anthers linear; ovary densely to sparsely hirsute; style exserted, densely pubescent in lower 1/3. Fruit is a globose berry turning black when ripe.