Shrub with pendent branches, or generally scan-dent, 2-20 m; stem 1-15 cm ø; bark rather smooth, grey; old branches with strong obtuse ramal straight or slightly curved thorns. Branchlets often horizontally spreading, patently puberulous or pubescent at younger parts, glabrescent below, striate-wrinkled longitudinally in dry specimens (not transversely ridged!). Leaves almost distichous, ovate-elliptic-oblong, apex broadly attenuate to rounded, base slightly inequilateral, attenuate to obtuse, not rarely rounded and plicate, thin-coriaceous, dark to yellowish green, somewhat shining and glabrous above, initially short-pubescent at midrib beneath, glabrescent, 2-8 (-9.5) by (0.3-) 0.8-3.5 cm; nerves 5-8 pairs, unequal-spreading, rather inconspicuous on both faces as are the reticulations; petiole short-pubescent, 5-7 (-10) mm. Racemes 1-3 per axil, simple or branched, obliquely ascending, many-flowered, densely short-hairy, bracteate at base, 0.5-3.5 cm; bracteoles distichous, obtuse, keeled, pubescent, c. 2 mm, caducous; pedicels thickened at the very base, glabrous, 1-1.5 mm. Calyx cup-shaped, truncate, ci-liolate, 0.5-1 mm high, c. 1.5 mm ø, much accrescent in fruit. Petals 3, of which 2 (rarely all) are split about halfway, thus 5(-6) petals seemingly present, linear-oblong, apex acute and incurved, glabrous, white, scented, 7-9 by c. 1.5 mm. Stamens 3, in the long-styled form reaching to the base of the sinus of the petals, in the short-styled form reaching 2-2.5 mm beyond it; filaments free for a short part; anthers oblong, c. 1.5 mm. Staminodes with very narrow void, deeply bifid cells. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; style either long (5-6 mm) or short (1.5-2.5 mm); stigma obscurely 3-lobed. Drupe broadly ovoid to subglo-bose, covered for the lower ⅔ or more by the accrescent firmly membranous calyx, apiculate, orange to yellow (0.8-) 1.5 by (0.6-) 1 cm.
More
A woody climber or tree. The branches are round and smooth and zigzag. The leaves are on short stalks. The leaves are 5 cm long. The flowers are white with 5 narrow petals. The fruit is fleshy and small.
Mostly in dry deciduous forest or scrub, also in teak forest, not rarely on rocky ground, often close to the sea (beach forest, dunes), rarely in light rain-forest, up to c. 300 m.
Home
