Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Small trees, evergreen, single or multiple stems; 1–6 m tall; apparently hemiparasitic on roots of other plants.

Stems: Older trees readily spread vegetatively via root sprouts when surface roots are exposed or damaged, sometimes forming small stands.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades narrowly to broadly ovate, to elliptic (rarely conduplicate–falcate), (3.4–)4.4–6.8(–8.4) cm long × (1.0–)1.6–3.1(–4.9) cm wide. Apex acute or obtuse (rarely acuminate). Base cuneate. More glaucous Lower surfacely, surfaces paler Lower surfacely, Light, evergreen, olive, to dark green, chartaceous to coriaceous. Margins flat to slightly recurved. Leaf lateral veins apparent on both surfaces of the leaf, yellowish to dark purple. Petioles (3.9–) 7.4–15.4 (–21.7) mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences fairly dense to dense, terminal or axillary. Flowers bisexual (perfect), weakly fragrant, reddish to cream-colored in bud, longer than wide. Pedicels 2–4 mm long, bracts 1–4 mm in length, persistent until flowering. Calyx (sepals) absent. Corolla of 4 (rarely 5) petals; petals deep pink to red throughout, or with white to pink interiors; concave with thickened margins, papillate, (2.0–)3.0–4.4(–4.8) mm long × (1.8–)1.9–2.7(–3.8) mm wide; floral tubes (3.4–)4.2–8.0(–11.2) mm long × (1.9–)2. Stamens 4, hairs proximal to the filaments (rarely hairs distal). Ovary partly inferior (approx. ⅔); drupe elliptic, with subapical ring; stigma lobes 3.

Fruit: Drupes black or purplish black at maturity; 10–16 mm long; with a subapical receptacular ring. Seeds muricate; with pointed beak on one end.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Exposed or semishaded scrublands.

Elevation Range: 800–1,300 m.