Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or small trees 2–4(–6) m tall.

Stems: Stems terete (cylindrical), ± dichotomously branched, short–hispidulous to glabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades broadly oblong–elliptic to elliptic–obovate or elliptic, sometimes elliptic–oblanceolate or elliptic–lanceolate, (6–)8–17 cm long, (2.5–)3.5–7 cm wide. Apex rounded to broadly obtuse, sometimes short-acuminate. Base weakly cordate to obliquely truncate. Upper surfaces glabrous; lower surfaces moderately to very sparsely short–hispidulous, the hairs spreading to somewhat appressed, leaves slightly thickened, membranous. Margins flat. Upper surface with veins scarcely impressed. Petioles 0.8–2.5 cm long, sparsely to moderately appressed short–hispidulous. Stipules interpetiolar, may also be intrapetiolar, completely connate, forming a truncate sheath 1.5–2.4 mm long, usually splitting with age, slightly adnate to petiole at base, margins sometimes sparsely ciliate.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences terminal, flowers 9–25 in open paniculate cymes, sparsely to moderately short–hispidulous throughout, the hairs spreading to appressed, peduncles recurved, 15–40 mm long, elongating up to 50 mm long in fruit, pedicels 4–12mm long, elongating up to 20 mm long in fruit, bracts and bracteoles linear–subulate to ovate–subulate, 1.5–3 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect) or functionally unisexual, actinomorphic. Calyx 5-merous, calyx lobes united at base, connate slightly to ½ their length, imbricate, ovate–deltate, 2–3 mm long, 1.6–3 mm wide, ± pubescent near base, margins hyaline, inner surface of calyx often with colleters at the base, margin mostly fimbriate. Corolla 5-merous, campanulate to rotate, green to yellowish green, corolla 10–13 mm long, the tube 9–10 mm long, somewhat enlarged toward base, moderately to sparsely white pilose within; lobes deltate–ovate, 2–3 mm long, imbricate or contorted in bud, apex short-acuminate; corolla tube much longer than corolla lobes. Stamens 5, alternipetalous, attached to mouth of corolla, exserted, usually recurved after anthesis, glabrous or hairy; filaments mostly short; anthers 2-celled, introrse, connective often extended to form an apical appendage, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior or partly inferior, carpels hairy or glabrous, white hirtellous in upper part, 2– or 3-locular, sometimes partitions imperfect in upper part of ovary; ovules numerous, amphitropous, placentation axile; style terminal, mostly short; stigma clavate, ellipsoid, to globular, sometimes ± oblong, about as large as ovary.

Fruit: Capsules broadly ovoid; 12–20 mm long; 2–valved; valves not keeled; apex with a beak 1.5–2.5 mm long; septicidal to sub–septifragal; maturing to green; with or without a black–purple tinge; usually becoming brown–black when over–mature. Seeds brown; 1.8–2.1 mm long; ± winged at both ends or all around; embedded in juicy orange to red pulp; numerous; ellipsoid to subglobular; intruded on the hilar side; surface mostly minutely papillose to areolate; brown to black; endosperm thick; fleshy; oily; proteinaceous; with saccharose or hemicellulose; embryo small; straight.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring primarily on ridges in diverse mesic forest to rarely wet forest.

Elevation Range: 450–950 m.