Slender tree, 3-6 m, up to 14 m, stem to 20 cm diam.; young shoots purple-red. Leaves coriaceous, obovate, c. 2-4 by 1-3 cm, up to 12 by 4½ cm; base cuneate, top abruptly and very short (c. 3 mm) acuminate; upper surface greyish-olive green, midrib impressed, c. 10-15 pairs of nerves, prominent, reticulations not fine; lower surface brownish-olive, midrib, nerves and reticulations yellowish, prominent; petiole c. 1 to 2 cm, purple-red. Flowers solitary, in the axils of often small leaves. Pedicels c. 1-2 cm. Sepals free, ovate or narrowly ovate, c. 3-3.5 by 1.5-2 mm, deep purple-red, margins ciliate, top acute. Petals ligulate, c. 12 by 2-2.5 mm, deep purple-red, 3-nerved, apex rounded. Filaments c. 6 mm, slightly thickened towards the base; anthers narrowly ovate, c. 2 by 1 mm, base cordate. Ovary subsessile, ellipsoid, c. 3 mm long, glabrous, with c. 10-12 ovules; style c. 2-2.5 mm, stigma not thickened. Fruit ellipsoid, c. 12 by 8 mm, purple-black in herb., 2-valved, mucronate; valves hard, rather thin, funicles inserted on the lower half, c. 1-2 mm long. Seeds c. 6, irregular, c. 3-4 mm long. Cf. also BAKKER Nova Guinea n.s. 9 1958 339 Blumea 11 1962 426 .
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