Small symmetrical divaricately branched shrub 0.9–4.2 m. tall, with branchlets either opposite or ternate or occasionally one suppressed and apparently alternate, slender, pubescent when young, later ± glabrous and with ridged dark red-brown bark densely dotted with pale lenticels.. Leaves paired or? sometimes in whorls of 3; blades elliptic, narrowly oblong-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, 1.2–5.5 cm. long, 0.7–2.2 cm. wide, mostly rather long-acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, the actual apex narrowly rounded, with scattered short ± stiff hairs mainly on the venation; margins sometimes undulate in dried material; petiole 1–2 mm. long; stipules joined to form a pubescent sheath 2–2.5 mm. long; appendages subulate 1.5–2.5 mm. long; later the sheath splits and appears lacerated, densely pilose within, the bases ± persistent.. Flowers 2–6 in stalked fascicles supported by paired scarious ovate bracts 2 mm. long and wide; peduncle 1–3 mm. long; pedicels 3–5(–7) mm. long, usually short, pubescent.. Buds acuminate.. Calyx-tube subglobose, 1–1.3 mm. long, the limb ± scarious, 0.5 mm. long, subtruncate or 5-denticulate, the teeth triangular ± 0.5 mm. long.. Corolla cream, white or green; tube 1.5–2 mm. long, glabrous outside, with a ring of deflexed hairs inside; lobes triangular, 2 mm. long, 1.3 mm. wide, subacute or very shortly acuminate.. Ovary 3(–4)-locular; style exserted 1–1.5 mm., the stigmatic club ± 1 mm. long, usually 3-lobed.. Fruit subglobose, 6 mm. long, 7 mm. wide, 4–7 mm. thick, crowned with calyx-limb, with (1 –)2–3 pyrenes, each ellipsoid-reniform, 6 × 4 × 3.5 mm., notched one-third from the apex on inner angle.
Home