Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs 1–2 m tall.

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

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Leaves in whorls of 3 per node, borne on upper 4–7 nodes. Those leaves at a node subequal, asymmetrical, thick, chartaceous, elliptic to elliptic–oblanceolate, 12–28 cm long, 4–8 cm wide. Apex acuminate. Base constricted to a decurrent base or base attenuate. Upper surfaces usually rugose, glabrate except with a few scattered hairs on midrib and principal veins; lower surfaces sparsely puberulent and veins sparsely appressed brown pilose. Margins serrate–crenate. Petioles 1–5 cm long, base sometimes clasping the stem or perfoliate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 3–7 in dense cymes arising in the leaf axils, densely shaggy brown pilose throughout, peduncles 3–5 mm long, pedicels 5–16 mm long, bracts foliaceous, lanceolate, distinct or occasionally connate, 6–15 mm long, those of pedicels smaller, usually deciduous after anthesis. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx 2–5(6)-lobed, somewhat zygomorphic, fusiform in bud, tipped by a beak 7–8 mm long, in anthesis 20–27 mm long, deciduous after anthesis, tube spathaceous or variously cleft into equal or unequal lobes, 6–10 mm long, moderately to densely appressed brown pilose, the lobes glabrous within, becoming sparsely long–villous and the tube covered with short–stalked, brownish, hemispherical glands, lobes similar in size and shape, upper 3 lobes 14–18 mm long, lower 2 lobes ca. 12–16 mm long. Corolla usually bilabiate, white, usually fleshy, tube narrowly funnelform, curved near middle, 22–26 mm long, ca. 4 mm in diameter medially, sparsely pilose, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, upper lobes very broadly elliptic, ca. 4–8 mm long, ca. 6–9 mm wide, lower lobes very broadly elliptic, 5–9 mm long, ca. 5–8 mm wide, the lobes imbricate in bud. 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, except toward tip, apex covered with short–stalked glands, 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 8–11 mm long, covered with short–stalked glands; stigma capitate, 2-lobed, lobes usually elliptic.

Fruit: Fruit a fleshy or firm berry; white; ellipsoid; ca. 1.7–1.8 cm long; sparsely covered with short–stalked glands toward apex; often tipped by the persistent stylar beak. Seeds numerous; ellipsoid; minute; 0.5 mm long; the surface reticulate.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Rare; known only from 5 collections in mesic valleys to wet forest.

Elevation Range: 380–730 m.