Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs 2–3(–4) m tall.

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

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite, borne on upper 3–7 nodes. Those leaves of a pair usually unequal, symmetrical or nearly so, lanceolate to oblanceolate, occasionally elliptic, rarely broadly so, 5–21(–24) cm long, 1.2–5.5(–7) cm wide. Apex acute to acuminate or occasionally obtuse. Base cuneate to attenuate. Upper surfaces sparsely appressed hirtellous; lower surfaces densely velvety pilose, sometimes primarily along veins; blades firm–chartaceous to subcoriaceous, conspicuously rugose. Margins entire to minutely serrulate, usually slightly revolute. Upper surface with strongly impressed veins, lower surface with usually conspicuously raised veins. Petioles (0.6–)1.5–5 cm long, base sometimes clasping the stem or perfoliate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 1(–4) in cymes arising in the leaf axils, densely to moderately appressed pilose, occasionally the hairs spreading, peduncles stout, (6–)10–22 mm long, pedicels 5–22 mm long, elongating to 15–33 mm long in fruit, bracts lanceolate to elliptic, distinct or occasionally connate, (5–)8–12(–18) mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx 2–5(6)-lobed, nearly actinomorphic, white or occasionally green when fresh, not closely surrounding corolla, 8–22 mm long, cleft to base, the lobes foliaceous, ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, somewhat unequal in size, densely to sparsely appressed pilose on the lower 1⁄2, upper part usually glabrate, glabrous or rarely sparsely pilose within, margins ± revolute, apex caudate to acuminate, deciduous or persistent in fruit. Corolla usually bilabiate, white, tube cylindrical, straight or curved, (10–)15–20 mm long, ca. 7–8 mm in diameter, densely shaggy villous, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, the lobes imbricate in bud, upper lobes reniform, 2.5–5 mm long, 4–7 mm wide, lower lobes rhombic–orbicular, 3–7 mm long, 4–8 mm wide. 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, oblong–ovoid, 2-carpellate, 1-celled, placentation parietal, placentas 2, ± intruded, rarely joined in center and dividing ovary into 2 cells; ovules numerous, anatropous, glabrous, apex rounded or with a stylar beak; style 1–2 mm long, glabrous; stigma capitate, 2-lobed, lobes usually elliptic.

Fruit: Fruit a fleshy or firm berry; white; ovoid; 1–2.3 cm long; glabrous; often tipped by the persistent stylar beak. Seeds numerous; ellipsoid; minute; 0.3–0.5 mm long; the surface reticulate.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring primarily in wet forest; occasionally in diverse mesic forest.

Elevation Range: 365–1,230 m.