Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs 0.6–2.5 m tall.

Stems: Stems branched, rounded to angular, pubescent with multicellular hairs or glabrate.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades elliptic to elliptic–obovate, (4.5–)11–28 cm long, (1.7–) 5–9.2 cm wide; those of a pair subequal to unequal, nearly symmetrical, chartaceous. Apex acuminate. Base attenuate to cuneate. Upper surfaces sparsely to moderately pilose; lower surfaces moderately to densely velvety pilose, the hairs yellowish brown, blades chartaceous. Margins serrulate or denticulate to subentire and very slightly revolute. Upper surface with veins somewhat impressed, lower surface with veins raised. Petioles (0.8–)3–5(–8) cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, peduncles 0–6 mm long, pedicels 4–5 mm long, bracts inconspicuous, lanceolate, 4–7 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx 2–5(6)-lobed, slightly zygomorphic, urceolate, 14–25 mm long, cleft ca. ¼(–⅔) its length, both surfaces very densely shaggy villous, the lobes linear–subulate to narrowly deltate, ca. 3–7 mm long, deciduous or persistent in fruit. Corolla white, tube cylindrical, 14–20 mm long, probably ca. 4 mm in diameter, very densely shaggy villous, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, the lobes imbricate in bud, upper lobes lanceolate, ca. 5 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide, lower lobes lanceolate, ca. Stamens 5, inserted about halfway up corolla tube, the 2 upper Stamens fertile, others staminodial, +/– with abortive anthers; fertile anthers coherent positioned in throat of corolla tube, dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits or occasionally by apical pores. Ovary superior, glabrous, oblong–ovoid, 2-carpellate, 1-celled, placentation parietal, placentas 2, ± intruded, rarely joined in center and dividing ovary into 2 cells; ovules numerous, anatropous, apex rounded or with a stylar beak; style ca. 3 mm long, glabrous; stigma capitate, 2-lobed, lobes usually elliptic.

Fruit: Berries broadly ovoid–ellipsoid; 1–1.2 cm long; puberulent; enclosed by the persistent calyx that splits when fruit matures. Seeds unknown.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Mesic to wet forest.

Elevation Range: 210–450(–820) m.