Sparsely foliaged tree, 12-18 m high. Twigs thick, at least 5 mm. Leaves coriaceous, glabrous, acute or faintly acuminate with cuneate base and glandular crenate or dentate margin, obovate, 12-21 by 4½-10½ cm; nerves 8-12 pairs; petiole stout, 1½-2½ cm. Spike glabrous, c. 3 cm. Bracts and bracteoles probably persistent, glabrous, 5-7 and c. 4 mm long respectively (older flowers often fallen including bracts and bracteoles, leaving conspicuous pulvinate light coloured scars on the dark axis). Calyx glabrous, c. 3 mm, divided in 5, 2-2½ mm long lobes. In some flowers corolla and stamens absent or obsolete, in other flowers corolla 5 mm, 3(-4)-lobed and stamens 20-35. Disk glabrous. Ovary glabrous, oblique, 1-1½ mm at one, c. 2 mm at the other side; style glabrous, 6 mm. Fruit ovoid, deeply violet, c. 13 by 6-8 mm; stone with rather high lengthwise ridges in the basal and low ridges in the apical half, in the middle a deep transverse groove, 1-celled. Seed 1, uncinately curved towards the base with curved embryo.
Home