The World Flora Online

Tree or shrub up to 10 m high. Branchlets brown, longitudinally striate, with narrowly decurrent wings arising from outer extremities of stipular cushions, glabrous. Leaf-blade elliptic, 3-8 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, apex acuminate, acute or rounded, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margin serrulate, often upper 2/3's only, lateral nerves about 10 pairs, inconspicuous, glabrous, chartaceous; petiole 2-4 mm long. Flowers axillary, solitary or in fascicles of 1-3; pedicels greenish, up to 2 cm long, with trifid bracteoles up to 1.8 mm long. Sepals white, somewhat leathery, broadly elliptic to circular, concave, 2.5-3.5 mm diam., connate at base. Stamens: filaments 3 mm long, glabrous; anthers orbicular, 0.7 mm diam. Ovary ellipsoid, sometimes shortly stipitate, 3-4 mm long; stigma subsessile, peltate, with a median groove. Fruit a white, fleshy berry, c. 8 mm diam., with persistent stigma on top. Seeds several, subglobose-obovoid, somewhat compressed, 2.5-3 mm diam.

A widely distributed species occurring in Tanzania, Rhodesia, Mozambique, Transvaal, Swaziland, Natal, Madagascar, the Comoro and Mascarene Islands and Seychelles.

Flowers solitary, or in fascicles of 1–3 in the leaf axils; pedicels greenish, c. 1 cm. long with 1–3 minute, deltoid bracteoles c. 1 mm. long towards their bases. Leaf-lamina 3–8 x 1.2–2.75 cm., narrowly elliptic to elliptic or oblanceolate, apex obtuse or subacute, base cuneate, margins serrate or serrulate, often entire towards the base, lateral nerves in c. 10 pairs, inconspicuous; petiole up to c. 3 mm. long. Glabrous, evergreen tree up to 14 m. tall; branchlets brown, longitudinally striate with a stronger line decurrent from a stipular cushion. Seeds c. 6, c. 2 mm. in diam., discoid with a glossy whitish testa. Stamens very numerous; filaments slender, 4–5 mm. long; anthers orbicular, c. 0.7 mm. in diam. Sepals white turning yellowish, c. 5 x 5 mm., imbricate, orbicular, connate for 1–1.5 mm. at the base, the inner more membranous and petaloid, margins membranous and entire or denticulate. Fruit a white, fleshy berry with the stigma persistent at the apex. Ovary ellipsoid, and sometimes very shortly stipitate; stigma subsessile with a median furrow, irregularly sublobed, as wide or wider than the young ovary. Leaf-lamina 3–8 x 1.2–2.75 cm., narrowly elliptic to elliptic or oblanceolate, apex obtuse or subacute, base cuneate, margins serrate or serrulate, often entire towards the base, lateral nerves in c. 10 pairs, inconspicuous; petiole up to c. 3 mm. long. Glabrous, evergreen tree up to 14 m. tall; branchlets brown, longitudinally striate with a stronger line decurrent from a stipular cushion. Seeds c. 6, c. 2 mm. in diam., discoid with a glossy whitish testa. Stamens very numerous; filaments slender, 4–5 mm. long; anthers orbicular, c. 0.7 mm. in diam. Sepals white turning yellowish, c. 5 x 5 mm., imbricate, orbicular, connate for 1–1.5 mm. at the base, the inner more membranous and petaloid, margins membranous and entire or denticulate. Fruit a white, fleshy berry with the stigma persistent at the apex. Ovary ellipsoid, and sometimes very shortly stipitate; stigma subsessile with a median furrow, irregularly sublobed, as wide or wider than the young ovary.

Berry globose, white, ± 5 mm. across. Seeds ± 2 mm. across. Fig. 19. Sepals white, turning yellowish, orbicular, ± 5 mm. across, connate for 1–1.5 mm. at the base, the inner 3 more membranous and petaloid. Flowers axillary, solitary or 2–3 (rarely more) in a fascicle or short raceme, 8–10 mm. in diameter; pedicels ± 1 cm. long. Ovary ellipsoid; stigma as wide as the ovary, persistent. Filaments 4–5 mm. long; anthers orbicular, 0.7 mm. across. Shrub or generally a slender tree, up to 20 m. tall. Leaf-blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic, or obovate-elliptic, or oblanceolate, apex subacute or obtuse, base cuneate, firmly chartaceous to subcoriaceous, often becoming bluish-green when dried, glabrous, serrate to serrulate, often entire towards the base, 3–8 cm. long, 1.2–2.8 cm. broad; lateral nerves 8–10 pairs, rather inconspicuous; petioles up to 3 mm. long. Branchlets drooping, brown, longitudinally striate with a stronger line decurrent from a stipular cushion. Seeds ± 2 mm. across. Fig. 19. Sepals white, turning yellowish, orbicular, ± 5 mm. across, connate for 1–1.5 mm. at the base, the inner 3 more membranous and petaloid. Flowers axillary, solitary or 2–3 (rarely more) in a fascicle or short raceme, 8–10 mm. in diameter; pedicels ± 1 cm. long. Ovary ellipsoid; stigma as wide as the ovary, persistent. Filaments 4–5 mm. long; anthers orbicular, 0.7 mm. across. Shrub or generally a slender tree, up to 20 m. tall. Leaf-blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic, or obovate-elliptic, or oblanceolate, apex subacute or obtuse, base cuneate, firmly chartaceous to subcoriaceous, often becoming bluish-green when dried, glabrous, serrate to serrulate, often entire towards the base, 3–8 cm. long, 1.2–2.8 cm. broad; lateral nerves 8–10 pairs, rather inconspicuous; petioles up to 3 mm. long. Branchlets drooping, brown, longitudinally striate with a stronger line decurrent from a stipular cushion.