Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Unarmed shrubs 0.5-0.75 m high, with 1–6 stems originating at the base.

Stems: Stems light green and darkening to a light brownish gray closer to the base, erect to decumbent, 58–119 cm in length, some branches partially resting on the ground, occasionally rooting when in contact with the soil or moss producing aerial roots, leaf scars subcircular, 9.5–12 × 6.5–11.8 mm, upper end of leaf scar depressed, basal portion slightly raised, leaf scar with a protuberance, latex white.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Leaves clustered distally near end of stems. Blades elliptic to oblong, in adult plants 20–33 × 10–16 cm. Apex acute to sub-obtuse. Base cuneate to rounded, occasionally slightly truncate. Surfaces dull grayish–green on adaxial surface and dull greenish white on abaxial surface, stiff, slightly fleshy, both surfaces densely hirsute and minutely muricate; in juvenile plants leaves are less stiff, margins dentate, and hairs softer. Margins serrate to serrate–dentate; in juvenile plants margins dentate. Petioles 2–4.2 cm long, pubescent. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences axillary just above the leaf, up to 4 per stem, young inflorescences roughly perpendicular to stem, larger and more developed inflorescences pendant, 3–12 flowered, peduncles 5–12.2 cm long (dried specimen 7.7 cm long), pubescent. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx lobes linear to linear–oblong,16–18 × 5–7 mm (13–17 × 3–5 mm when dried), apex acute to subobtuse, retained on immature (green) fruits (no mature fruit seen). Corolla dark purple with some lighter streaks developing with age, tubular, laterally compressed, curved, 86–99 mm long (80–95 mm when dried) × 12–13 mm wide medially (9–12 mm when dried), externally densely pubescent, internally glabrous, the lobes linear–subulate, 10–16 mm long × 5 mm wide at the base, reflexed, c. ¼–⅓ as long as the tube. Stamens 5, alternate with corolla lobes, connate; staminal column glabrous, adnate to corolla for half its length; anthers 9–10 mm long, scantily pubescent, the lower two with apical tufts of white hairs 2–3 mm long. Ovary inferior, 2-celled; ovule placentation axile; stigma 2-lobed, wet or dry, appressed and nonreceptive as the style grows through the anther tube, pushing out the pollen, after which the stigmas spread apart and become receptive.

Fruit: Berries: (mature fruits not seen); immature fruits densely pubescent; with calyx lobes persistent. Seeds from immature fruits numerous; embedded in green pulp; obovoid; 0.74–0.84 × 0.58–0.64 mm; seed coat medium to dark brown; shiny and smooth.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurs in wet forest sites.

Elevation Range: 884–932 m.