Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Sprawling or scandent shrubs up to 3 m tall, new growth minutely puberulent.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades broadly oblong–elliptic, elliptic, or suborbicular, 6–11 cm long, 3.5–7.5 cm wide. Apex rounded, ± slightly emarginate. Base cordate, ± subauriculate. Surfaces glabrate at maturity, except midrib on lower surfaces sparsely puberulent; blades coriaceous. Margins ± revolute, margins entire. Primary lateral veins usually 8–12 pairs, connected by an arched vein 2–7 mm from margin, venation pinnate, lateral veins connected by an arched submarginal vein, higher order venation forming a reticulate pattern. Petioles 4–5(–12) mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 1–3 in sparsely minutely puberulent, axillary cymes up to 7 cm long, peduncles 10–15 mm long, pedicels 15–35 mm long, bracteoles ca. 2 mm long, bracts small, opposite. Flowers bisexual (perfect) or functionally unisexual (and then plants monoecious). Calyx of 4 sepals; Sepals of pistillate flowers ovate, ca.2.5 mm long, sparsely appressed puberulent, imbricate. Corolla of 4 petals, valvate; petals of pistillate flowers deltate, ca. 8 mm long, glabrous. Stamens 8. Ovary superior, 4-celled and 4-lobed, carpels connate, only slightly distinct at apex to almost entirely distinct; ovules 2 per cell, hemitropous, 1 ascending; style 1, terminating in 4 short stigmatic branches.

Fruit: Capsules ca. 18 mm wide (immature); carpels connate ca. ⅓ their length; exocarp glabrous; endocarp pilose(?). the carpels dehiscing along the upper suture; exocarp. Seeds 1–2 per cell; glossy black when ripe; crustaceous; ovoid; sometimes angled from compression; embryo straight in fleshy endosperm; radicle short; cotyledons compressed; ovate; putamen brown; warty.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Apparently uncommon in mesic to wet forest.

Elevation Range: 610–890 m.