Monoecious glabrous shrub up to 3 m., but more commonly ± 1–2 m., with flexuous branches.. Twigs dull reddish or greyish brown.. Orthotropic shoots subterete. Plagiotropic shoots up to 17 cm. long, more usually ± 10 cm. long, angular, persistent. Brachyblasts present, co-axillary with the plagiotropic shoots, later themselves usually giving rise to one or two secondary plagiotropic shoots, or, where the main axis has been damaged, growing on into secondary orthotropic shoots.. Cataphylls 0.. Leaves of the orthotropic shoots smaller than those of the plagiotropic, but similar in texture. Stipules of the orthotropic shoots triangular-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm. long, irregularly minutely denticulate, dark purplish brown. Leaves of the plagiotropic shoots subdistichous; petioles 1–1.5 mm. long; blades elliptic-obovate, 0.3–3.7 cm. long, 0.2–2.6 cm. wide, subacute, obtuse or rounded, rarely mucronulate, rounded or cuneate, firmly chartaceous, lateral nerves 5–7 pairs, not prominent above or beneath, brochidodromous, the loops well in from the margin, and with 2–3 further series of loops between them and the margin, tertiary nerve network reticulate, more open towards the midrib, finer towards the margin, mid-green above, slightly glaucous beneath. Stipules narrowly lanceolate, 2 mm. long, purplish brown with narrow white margins.. Flowers in few-many-flowered axillary fascicles, commonly all ♂ with one ♀, or rarely the ♀ flowers solitary or geminate in the distal axils.. Male flowers: pedicels 4–5 mm. long; sepals 5, obovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, 2–2.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, obtuse, creamy green with a median green band; disc-glands 5, free, transversely ovoid, nodulose, fleshy; stamens 4–5, free, filaments 1.5–2 mm. long, anthers ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.5 mm. long, extrorse, thecae parallel, longitudinally dehiscent.. Female flowers: pedicels 5–7 mm. long, extending to 1–1.7 cm. in fruit, slightly distally dilated; sepals 5, obovate, 1.5–2 mm. long, 1–1.2 mm. wide, rounded at the apex, creamy green with a broader median green band than in the ♂; disc pentagonal, the rounded angles alternating with the sepals, slightly fleshy; ovary sessile, subglobose, 1 mm. diameter, 3–5-locular, smooth; styles 3–5, flat, broad, ± 1 mm. long, united at the base, at first strongly reflexed over the ovary, later ± spreading, bifid or occasionally 3–4-fid.. Fruit subglobose, 3–4 mm. long, 4–5 mm. diameter, smooth, yellowish-brown when dry.. Seeds compressed-segmentiform, semilunar in outline, with one side flat and the other ± rounded, with a ventral notch, 2.8–3.5 mm. long, 1.8–2 mm. wide, faintly and very finely lineate, smooth, pale yellowish brown.
Home