Shrub up to 2 m. Branchlets reddish-brown, sparsely puberulous and glabrescent. Leaves membranous to chartaceous, usually olive-brown when dry, glabrous on both surfaces, rarely sparsely puberulous on the midrib beneath, elliptic-oblong, lanceolate, ovate-oblong or ovate, 4-15.5 by 2½-4½ cm; base attenuate, acute or obtuse; apex acuminate; nerves 7-12 pairs, slightly curved towards the margin and then upward, slightly elevated on both surfaces; veins obscure on both surfaces; petiole 2-3 mm, sparsely puberulous when young. Flowers c. 15 mm long, yellow or greenish-yellow, 6-14, umbelliform on a terminal, very short, slightly puberulous peduncle; pedicels c. 1 mm, articulated towards the base, puberulous. Floral tube sparsely puberulous outside, glabrescent, glabrous inside. Calyx lobes ovate-oblong, obtuse, 3.5-4 mm long. Stamens shortly filamentous, free from the tube at the upper half, the two series c. 1 mm apart; anthers linear, obtuse or slightly apiculate, c. 1.5 mm long. Disk 2 free linear, c. 1 mm long, 2-lobed scales. Ovary ellipsoid or slightly obovoid, 1.5-2 mm long, hairy at the apex; style very short or obscure; stigma globose and papillose. Fruits red, ellipsoid or ovoid, 8 by 5 mm. Seeds ovoid, the same shape as the fruit.
Uses. The species contains a purgative substance and the leaves are eaten as an aperient. The bark is used as entering into a compound potion against small-pox; it is pounded and converted into a poultice for applying to boils, or merely tied round the neck to stop vomiting. It is also used as a fish-poison. The fruits are poisonous (cf. BURKILL Dict. 1935 2258 ).
Home
