Tree, 6-18 by 0,3 m; branchlets slender, dark brown, densely fulvo-tomentellous when very young, later minutely tomentellous or glabrescent. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-oblong, rarely slightly ob-lanceolate, 6-16.5 by 2-6 cm, cuneate to almost rounded at the base, shortly caudate-acuminate at apex, thinly chartaceous, minutely shagreened and densely and minutely impressed-punctate above, almost smooth below, drying various shades of light brown, from reddish to olivaceous, glabrous above and below, or very sparsely puberulous below when young, midrib slender, narrowly impressed above, prominent and shortly puberulous below; primary lateral nerves 5-11 pairs, very slender, lax, patulous; petiole slender, 8-15 mm, densely fulvo-puberulous or tomentellous. Inflorescence up to 27 cm long, often unbranched in lower portion, much branched above, densely ochraceo-tomentellous or shortly adpressed-sericeous, branches spreading almost at right angles, up to 8 cm long, each subtended by an almost linear tomentellous bract (up to 7 mm long) which is sometimes carried as much as 1½ cm up the branch, ultimate branchlets loosely subfasciculate. Pedicels slender, 5-10 mm, shortly subsericeous. Calyx shortly and openly cupular, 5-7 mm diam., externally sericeous, glabrous within but setulose at the base; segments ovate, rounded to subacute, ± re-flexed at apex. Petals 2-3 mm long, strongly retrorse-setulose, setae adpressed, sometimes spreading at apex. Stamens 2mmlong. Ovary 2 mm diam., densely setulose. Style 5-6 mm, glabrous or very sparingly pilose below. 'Parastyles' 1-2 mm long, glabrous or very sparingly pilose above. Fruit prismatic-trigonous or tetragonous when young, ellipsoid-oblong when mature (?), with a long cylindric beak, 5¾-6¾ cm long (including 2-2½ cm long beak), 1-2 cm thick, shortly stipitate, densely shortly brown-velvety, traversed by the 3-4 elevate sutures; calyx persistent. Seeds large, oblong-ellipsoid, 3 by 1½ by 1 cm, ± planoconvex, testa thin, but firm and tough, very smooth and glossy, dark brown; funicle thickened, 36 by 3 mm, trigonous, enlarged into a conical appendage 6 mm long at base of seed; embryo about 23 by 11 by 9 mm; cotyledons thick and fleshy, with numerous oil-ducts; radicle conical, blunt; plumule not detected.
Home