Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Treelet, 0.35–2.25 m tall.

Stems: stems erect, unbranched, 0.4–0.5 cm diam. near apex, tan, glabrous, pith solid.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades linear, 31–38 cm long, 1.2–1.5 cm wide. Apex acuminate. Base attenuate. Surfaces glabrous, slightly paler below. Margins flat or sometimes slightly revolute, minutely denticulate. Petioles 2.5–3.8 cm long, 1.4–2 mm diam., 1/10–1/12 as long as the lamina. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences ascending, 5–8–flowered; peduncle 10–16 mm long, 1.1–1.8 mm diam., sparsely pubescent; rachis 8–13 mm long, more densely pubescent; bracts narrowly triangular, 1.9–2.7 mm long, 0.5–0.7 mm wide, the apex acuminate. Flowers bisexual (perfect); pedicels 10–12 mm long, 0.5–1 mm diam., bibracteolate at a point ¼ the distance above the base, pubescent; bracteoles narrowly triangular, 0.6–0.8 mm long, 0.2 mm wide, the apex acuminate. Hypanthium obconic, 8–8.5 mm long, 4–5 mm diam., 1/6–1/7 as long as the corolla, sparsely pubescent. Calyx lobes triangular, 1.4–1.5 mm long, 0.9–1.1 mm wide, sparsely pubescent; apex acute; margin entire. Corolla rose–purple, the lobes edged in white, 47–53 mm long, moderately pubescent; tube curved, 28–33 mm long, 5.3 mm diam. at base, gradually decreasing to 4.8 mm diam. at mouth; dorsal lobes linear triangular, 19–20 mm long, 1.6–1.9 mm wide, ⅗–⅔ as long as the tube, the apex acuminate; ventral lobes linear triangular, 15–16 mm long, 1.6–1.8 mm wide, the apex acuminate, connate 3–4 mm at base. Stamens 5, alternate with corolla lobes, connate; staminal column slightly exserted, emerging from the mouth of the corolla tube between the dorsal lobes; filament tube purple, 37 mm long, 1.2 mm diam., slightly curved, glabrous; anther tube 2.7 mm diam., slightly downcurved, the surfaces glabrous; dorsal anthers 8 mm long, 1/5–¼ as long as the filament tube; ventral anthers 6.4 mm long, with tufts of white hairs 2.4–2.5 mm long at apex. 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 fruit not seen). Seeds ellipsoid; dark brown or black; 0.7–0.8 mm long; 0.3–0.4 mm wide; smooth; shiny.

Ploidy:

Habitat: In lowland wet forest in company with <i>Metrosideros polymorpha; Antidesma platyphyllum; Broussaisia arguta; Hedyotis tryblium; Clermontia fauriei; Dubautia knudsenii; Isodendrion longifolium; Bidens sp.; Pipturus sp.; Cyrtandra sp.</i>; and numerous pteridophytes.

Elevation Range: 520–580 m.