Psychotria nervosa Sw.

Shrubs to 5 m tall, the branchlets terete, pubescent to glabrate, the nodes well spaced or occasionally crowded at the apex of the twiglets. Leaves lanceolate or oblanceolate, often narrowly so, occasionally falcate, 4-15 cm long, 1.8-7.0 cm wide, tapering acutely or obtusely into a distinct or indistinct acumen, the acumen to 2 cm long, ultimately acute or obtuse, basally acute, attenuate acute or cuneate, the costa plane or grooved above, subprominent beneath, the lateral veins 10-15, arcuate, occasionally strict but arcuate toward the margin, the submarginal undulate vein conspicuous, chartaceous, often drying reddish, ferrugineous vil-losulose or villose above and beneath, occasionally glabrate above, often with bases of deciduous hairs giving a punctate appearance; petioles either absent or to 1.5 cm long; stipules connate, at least at the very base, often becoming free from the node as a movable cylinder, each part oblong rotund, 0.8-1.5 cm long, obtuse, venose, pilose. Inflorescences terminal, occasionally pseudoterminal, solitary or ternately disposed, ferrugineous pubescent, umbelliform paniculate or conglomerate capitate, 1-5 cm long, to 7 cm wide, either epedunculate with several radiate branches or pedunculate, the peduncles 0.5-1.3 cm long, occa-sionally the peduncle with one cymule or a rachis with 2-3 pairs of opposite branches terminated by cymules. Flowers with the hypanthium ca. 0.5 mm long, the calycine cup saucer shaped and expanded, glabrous to puberulent outside, glabrous and eglandular within, to 0.5 mm long, the margin of the cup undulate or with triangular teeth, to 0.35 mm long; corolla white, the tube narrow at the base, somewhat campanulate above, glabrous to puberulent outside, villosulose near the filament attachment position within, the lobes 5, ovate oblong, almost equal to the tube, villosulose at base; stamens 5, the anthers oblong, to 0.5 mm long, the filaments slender, to 2 mm long, attached at the mouth; style slender, ca. 1 mm long, the stigmas upright, ca. 0.4 mm long. Fruits sessile, yellow orange to red, ovoid oblong to oblong, to 0.7 cm long, about 2 times longer than wide, conspicuously sulcate, glabrous to rufous pubescent, the remnants of the calyx scarcely measurable.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in damp forest in the lowlands. It grows up to 1,200 m above sea level. It is best in an alkaline well-drained soil.

The fruit are eaten raw. The seeds are roasted and used as a substitute for coffee. The leaves are used for tea.

Plants can be pruned and grown as a hedge.