Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Trees 5–6 m tall.

Stems: Stems unbranched to many-branched, younger ones with conspicuous leaf scars.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, spiral. Blades linear, gradually tapering in upper ⅓, 23–38 cm long, 1.4–2.7 cm wide. Base sessile. Blades subcoriaceous. Margins entire. Veins parallel. Sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in panicles compact slightly glaucous, 19–28 cm long, the lower lateral branches 3–10 cm long, peduncles 6–13 cm long, abruptly recurved. Flowers bisexual (perfect); pedicels 5–12 mm long. Perianth pale yellow, 33–43 mm long, tube 24–34 mm long, constricted basal part ca. 4–6 mm long, lobes slightly spreading, 11–14 mm long. Stamens 6; anthers ca. 4–4.5 mm long. Ovary superior, 3-celled; ovules 1 per cell; style filiform; stigma capitate or slightly lobed.

Fruit: Berries red; ca. 10–13 mm long. Seeds 1(2); 6–7 mm long.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Apparently rare; primarily in dry forest; occasionally in mesic forest.

Elevation Range: 300–860 m.