Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Trees (3–)4–10(–15) m tall.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, distichous. Blades ovate to obovate or sometimes orbicular, (6–)8–14(–19) cm long, (3–)4–10 cm wide. Base cuneate to truncate, rarely subcordate. Surfaces glabrous; upper surfaces often glossy, rarely puberulent evenly over lower surface, but especially along veins and toward midrib;, thick, chartaceous to coriaceous. Margins entire. Petioles curved, 1–7(–9) mm long, glabrous. Stipules linear–lanceolate, ca. 5–6 mm long, quickly deciduous.

Flowers: Staminate flowers in axillary panicles 4–8 cm long, pedicels ca. 0.7–0.8 mm long, bracts 0.8–1 .2 mm long; pistillate flowers in axillary panicles 5–14 cm long, pedicels 0.5–1.6 mm long, bracts ca. 1 mm long. Flowers unisexual. Calyx of staminate flowers 4–5 lobed, 1.3–1.6 mm long, puberulent. Calyx of pistillate flowers 5–8-lobed, ca. 1 mm long, puberulent. Petals vestigial. Stamens in staminate flower 4–5, exserted; filaments ca. 3.5–4 mm long pistillate flowers Stamens absent. Ovary superior, glabrous to puberulent; style terminal. Staminate flowers ovary vestigial.

Fruit: Fruit reddish to dark purple; fleshy; compressed; 10–12 mm long and usually more than 6–8 mm thick. Seeds 1(2).

Ploidy:

Habitat: Mesic to wet forest.

Elevation Range: (150–)500–1,100(–1,525) m.