Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect subshrubs to scandent lianas.

Stems: Stems densely long–hirsute (hairs often somewhat retrorse).

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades ovate, (14.5–)17–30 cm long, (6.5–)7.3–18 cm wide. Apex acute to short-acuminate. Base subcordate to cordate. Surfaces moderately long–hirsute (hairs somewhat appressed); upper surfaces inconspicuously glandular–dotted; lower surfaces more densely so; blades rugose. Margins crenate. Petioles 5.2–11 cm long, densely long–hirsute (hairs often antrorse). Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 6–18 per verticillaster (sometimes the uppermost verticillaster with only 4–8), in leafless, compound, racemose inflorescences usually 10–20 cm long, consisting of the terminal primary branch and ± 2 to several secondary, rarely tertiary, lateral branches, pedicels 1–5 mm long, long–hirsute, bracts ovate, 3–6 mm long. Calyx obconical, 3–3.5 mm long, enlarging in fruit, hirsute at base, less so above middle, becoming sparsely short–hispidulous in upper part, glandular–dotted, often densely so, usually 5-toothed, the teeth ovate, 0.5–1 mm long, apex obtuse to rounded, splitting longitudinally, usually persistent or sometimes only ventral 1/2 persistent. Corolla bilabiate, white, upper lip usually purple–tinged, tube narrowly funnelform, slightly curved, 7–11 mm long, sparsely to moderately villous, upper lip ca. 2.5–3.5 mm long, entire or 2-lobed, flat or concave, lower lip ca. 5–7 mm long, 3-lobed, lateral lobes ovate, slightly asymmetrical, lower lobe broadly ovate to suborbicular, slightly folded to form a groove, margins somewhat undulate, apex emarginate or entire; nectary disk often present at base of ovary, annular or developed on anterior side only. Stamens 4, both pairs of similar length or upper pair slightly longer, ascending the upper corolla lip, included, aligned with the sinuses; filaments inserted near throat, usually pubescent; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits; anther sacs divaricate. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate; ovules 1 per ovary lobe, placentation basal-axile; style 1, included, arising between lobes, shortly 2-lobed, the lobes clavate; stigmatic only at apex, 1 lobe often rudimentary; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Nutlets ca.2.5–3 mm long; 1-seeded; dark green to black; drupaceous; exocarp fleshy; obovoid; margins slightly winged; obliquely attached at the connate base; spreading and exserted from calyx at maturity. Seeds with endosperm absent or scanty and oily.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring in diverse mesic forest to wet forest; central Wai'anae Mountains and Ko'olau Mountains; O'ahu.

Elevation Range: 300–1,070 m.