Shrub or small tree, 2-12 m high, the trunk to 10-12.5 cm in diam, armed or not, the spines on the trunk often branched, the spines on the branches simple, the branchlets inconspicuously puberulous to glabrous. Leaves short-petiolate, the petiole to 5(-7) mm long; blade polymorphic, glabrous, commonly elliptic to broadly elliptic, infrequently ovate (or even narrowly ovate), acute at the base, obtuse to acute at the apex, seldom obtusely acuminate, distinctly glandular-crenate-serrate along the margins, to 6(-8) cm long and 4.5 cm wide, rigid-chartaceous, ? lustrous and with the network of the veins conspicuous on the upper surface, rather dull and with the costa prominent below, the network of the veins less conspicuous on the lower surface. Flowers in fascicles or contracted racemes, dioecious, greenish to yellowish, the pedicels to 5 mm long, minutely puberulous or glabrous, bracteate at the base; sepals 4 or usually 5, broadly ovate or deltoid, acute, ca 1.5-2 mm long, spreading in c flowers, ciliolate along the margins, usually minutely puberulous on both sides; stamens ca 16-20, the filaments to 2.5 mm long, glabrous; ovary oblong-ovoid, glabrous, the placentas 2-3, each one 2-ovulate. Bacca subglobo!se, 5-6 mm in diam, at first green, turning bright red at maturity, surmounted by the persistent, 2-3-lobed style, the fruiting pedicel elongated and to 8 mm long, usually distinctly articulate ca 2 mm above the base; seeds 4-6, angulate-ovoid, to 4 mm long, the testa reddish-brown, glabrous.
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Shrubs [trees] to 2 [12] m. Leaves: petiole to 5 mm; blade usually ovate to obovate, sometimes rhombic, to 8 cm, chartaceous to ± coriaceous, base cuneate to rounded, margins usually crenate to serrate, sometimes subentire, apex shortly acuminate to rounded, sometimes retuse, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes glabrescent on vasculature abaxially. Inflorescences sessile or obscurely pedunculate, 4-18-flowered. Pedicels to 5(-8) mm at anthesis, articulate proximal to middle, usually near base. Flowers: pistillate sometimes with sterile, ± reduced stamens; sepals white, yellowish, or greenish, sometimes reddish adaxially, ovate, 1-1.5 mm, margins short-ciliate, surfaces usually shortly pubescent, sometimes glabrate; stamens 16-24; filaments glabrous; ovary ovoid-oblong, glabrous. Berries reddish to red-black at maturity, subglobose, 4-7 mm, glabrous. Seeds 2-6, broadly ovoid, angular-compressed, sometimes reniform, 3-4 mm.
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