Shrub or tree 1–10 m high, branching from the base; bark rough grey-brown; slash cream with fine orange streaks; young branches glabrous or pubescent, conspicuously angled and ribbed.. Leaves petiolate, petiole 3–6 mm long; blade ovate, obovate, elliptic to suborbicular, 1–8(–10) cm long, 1.1–6.5 cm wide, rounded or acute at the apex, with a hard mucro, sometimes emarginate, cuneate or rounded at the base, coriaceous, glabrous; secondary veins obscure, especially beneath.. Inflorescence contracted, of many-flowered axillary cymes; sepals ovate, 1–2 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, pubescent or glabrous, ciliate.. Corolla tube pink or reddish, 8–11 mm long, glabrous or pubescent on external surface, inner surface pilose in the upper half and wrinkled below; lobes pink outside, white inside, ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, acuminate at the apex, pubescent at the base inside, glabrous or pubescent outside, ciliate; stamens slightly exserted, inserted at 7–10 mm from the base; anthers ovate, 1–1.5 mm long, acumen 0.2 mm long; pistil 7.5–10 mm long.. Fruit purple when ripe, ellipsoid, 10–25 mm long; seeds up to 13 mm long.. Fig. 5/5–6 (p. 16).
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A shrub or rounded tree. It grows up to 5-10 m tall. The bark is dark brown and becomes cracked with age. The young twigs are flattened. The leaves occur opposite each other along the branch. They are dark green and shiny on the top surface. They are stiff and leathery. They are rounded and 4-7 cm long. The tip is pointed and sharp. The flowers are whitish pink and almost without stalks. They occur in dense clusters. They have a sweet smell. The fruit are red berries about 2 cm across. They become purple when ripe. They have many seeds. They are edible.
It is a tropical plant. It grows in Africa. It grows in dry woodland. In equatorial regions is occurs from 1,000 to 2,300 m above sea level. It does best in well drained forest soils but will grow on poorer soils. It is mostly in hill country. It can grow in arid places. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 500-900 mm. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
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Margins of dry forest, in relict forest, thickets, grasslands and bushland, at elevations from 1,100-2,400 metres.
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