Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Trees (2–)4–12 m tall, with irregularly corrugated bark.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades ovate to broadly elliptic, or occasionally elliptic–obovate, 7.5–15(–20) cm long, 4–8(–10.5) cm wide. Base truncate to cordate, often asymmetrical. Upper surfaces glabrous; lower surfaces with conspicuous tufts of hairs in the angles formed by the lateral veins and midrib, at least in those toward base of the leaf, sometimes also puberulent along veins; blades thin and chartaceous. Margins entire. Petioles straight, 12–30 mm long, tomentose. Stipules linear–lanceolate, ca. 4–5 mm long, quickly deciduous.

Flowers: Flowers in staminate flowers in densely tomentose panicles 5–6 cm long, sessile, bracts ca. 0.5 mm long pistillate flowers in panicles 4–9 cm long, pedicels (1.5–)2–5 mm long, bracts ca. 0.3–0.5 mm long. Flowers unisexual. Calyx of staminate flowers 4-lobed, ca. 0.5 mm long, densely tomentose. Calyx of pistillate flowers 4–6(–8)-lobed, ca. 0.8–1 mm long, tomentose, less densely so than in staminate flowers. Petals vestigial. Stamens in staminate flower 4, exserted; filaments ca. 2 mm long pistillate flowers without stamens. Ovary superior (pistillate flower). tomentose; style terminal. Staminate flower ovary vestigial.

Fruit: Fruit reddish to dark purple; fleshy; compressed; 4–7 mm long; 3–4.5 mm thick. Seeds 1(2).

Ploidy:

Habitat: Dry to mesic forest.

Elevation Range: (30–)300–600(–1,220) m.