Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs 1–5 m tall.

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

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite, occasionally in whorls of 3–4 per node, +/- well-spaced, borne usually on upper (4–)6–22 nodes. Those leaves at a node slightly unequal, symmetrical, narrowly elliptic, occasionally elliptic–lanceolate or elliptic–oblanceolate, 4–34 cm long, 0.9–8(–13) cm wide. Apex acuminate to attenuate. Base cuneate to attenuate. Upper surfaces glabrous or glabrate; lower surfaces glabrous to sparsely appressed pilose along principal veins; Thick and often somewhat fleshy, chartaceous. Margins coarsely crenate to serrate–crenate. Upper surface with veins often deeply impressed (usually in plants from windblown sites). Petioles 0.7–5(–8) cm long, base sometimes clasping the stem or perfoliate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 1–7(–15) in cymes arising in the leaf axils, sparsely brown pilose to glabrate, peduncles (1–)3–14 mm long, pedicels 6–35 mm long, bracts lanceolate to elliptic, distinct or occasionally connate, 3–9 mm long, deciduous after anthesis. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx 2–5(6)-lobed, zygomorphic, fusiform in bud, tipped by a beak 3–9 mm long, in anthesis pale green, (7–)10–20 mm long, deciduous after anthesis, tube 5–10 mm long, sparsely brown pilose to glabrous, glabrous within, upper 3 lobes 2–7 mm long, lower 2 lobes 6–11 mm long, all lobes usually separating by anthesis, occasionally remaining coherent. Corolla usually bilabiate, white, tube narrowly funnelform, curved near middle, 16–20(–24) mm long, ca.4–6 mm in diameter medially, glabrous, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, the lobes imbricate in bud, upper lobes broadly ovate, 3.5–8 mm long, 3–7.5 mm wide, lower lobes broadly elliptic, 8–10.5 mm long, 5–9.5 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 6–8 mm long, glabrous; stigma capitate, 2-lobed, lobes usually elliptic.

Fruit: Fruit a fleshy or firm berry; white; ellipsoid; 1.6–3 cm long; glabrous; often tipped by the persistent stylar beak. Seeds numerous; ellipsoid; minute; 0.4–0.55 mm long; the surface reticulate.

Ploidy: 2n = 34*

Habitat: Occurring in diverse mesic forest to wet forest; rarely mesic valleys.

Elevation Range: 260–1160 m. (Kaua'i); 240–800 m. (Ko'olau Mountains and Palikea, Wai'anae Mountains); 860–1000 m. (Maui); 180–1280 m. (Hawai'i)