Shrub or tree up to 20 m or more high; young branches reddish brown villous, becoming ± gla-brous. Leaves narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 2-1.25 by 0.7-3.5 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate or acute, margin serrate or entire, yellowish brown when young, green at maturity becoming reddish, nerves numerous (c. 10-20 pairs), villous when young, becoming ± glabrous except for the midrib and nerves; petiole c. 6-12 mm, villous. Inflorescence axillary and terminal, paniculate, shorter than the subtending leaf, c. 6.5 by 5.5 cm, peduncle up to 15 mm long, villous at first. Bracts c. 3 mm long, lower ovate-lanceolate, upper broader, caducous. Flowers uni-or bisexual, up to 4 by 2 mm, pedicel c. 1 mm long, villous; tepals 11—25(—28), in terminal flowers c. 6 outer decussate, in lateral flowers the outer 2 ± opposite, the remainder spirally arranged, the outer broadly ovate c. 1.5 mm long, peltate, grading into longer narrower tepals, the uppermost spathulate, c. 3 mm long, ciliate on the upper part, dark brown before anthesis, caducous. Stamens 9-25, c. 2-3.5 mm long, filament slender, c. 1 mm long, anthers to 2 mm long, white, pinkish white or cream at maturity, connective produced. Carpel c. 2 mm long, sparsely strigose, carpellode in male flowers rudimentary or absent. Berry to 7.5 by 5 mm, crimson to dark purple-black when ripe. Seed ovoid, c. 4 by 3 mm, smooth.
Common on ridge crests and exposed places in primary low to mid-montane forests, 1000-2700 m. Also in regrowth after landslide and fire, and on infertile stony sand in riverside or stream bank vegetation.
Home