Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs 1–5 m tall.

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

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite, borne on upper 3–5 nodes. Those leaves of a pair subequal or somewhat unequal, symmetrical or asymmetrical, elliptic to broadly elliptic or rarely ovate, 14–39 cm long, (1.8–)2.5–9(–13) cm wide. Apex acute to acuminate. Base slightly asymmetrical and cuneate. Upper surfaces sparsely to moderately hirtellous; lower surfaces moderately to densely velvety short–pilose, the hairs rust–colored, blades chartaceous. Margins irregularly denticulate to serrate. Petioles 2.5–10 cm long, base sometimes clasping the stem or perfoliate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 3–33 in branched cymes, 1 to several arising together, along the stems and occasionally also on the caudex, roots(?), or among the leaves, short–pilose throughout, peduncles 8–50 mm long, pedicels 3–16 mm long, elongating to 20–25 mm long in fruit, bracts linear-lanceolate, distinct or occasionally connate, 2–12 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx 2–5(6)-lobed, nearly actinomorphic, greenish white when fresh, 5–7(–12) mm long, cleft (⅔–)¾–7/8 its length, some lobes cleft slightly deeper than others, the lobes narrowly lanceolate, short–pilose, glabrous within, deciduous or persistent in fruit. Corolla usually bilabiate, white, tube cylindrical, flaring slightly at mouth, the tube straight or curved, 11–17 mm long, ca. 4–5 mm in diameter medially, moderately to densely pilose, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, the lobes imbricate in bud, upper lobes reniform, ca. 1.5–3 mm long, 4–5.5 mm wide, lower lobes reniform–orbicular, ca. 3–4 mm long, ca. 4–5.5 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 to sparsely puberulent, apex rounded or with a stylar beak; style ca. 1–2 mm long, glabrous to pilose; stigma capitate, 2-lobed, lobes usually elliptic.

Fruit: Fruit a fleshy or firm berry; white; lanceoloid to ovoid; 1–1.5 cm long; puberulent; often tipped by the persistent stylar beak. Seeds numerous; ellipsoid; minute; 0.3–0.5 mm long; the surface reticulate.

Ploidy: 2n = 34*

Habitat: Occurring in moist; shaded gulch–bottoms and on slopes in mesic valleys; often with Psidium and Aleurites.

Elevation Range: 150–430(–610) m.