Description
FLOWER PARTS
- Pedicel : stout, 5-20mm long, pendulous in flower, divergent-erect in fruit, with the upper 5mm enlarged and dark purple
- Ovary : cylindrical-fusiform, 6-8.5mm long x 3-4.5mm wide, green, ovules 500-600, four- or five-seriate in each locule,
- Tube color : green with dark purple streaks in bud and at anthesis, changing abruptly to dark crimson-purple before dehiscing
- Tube shape : cylindrical to slightly fusiform, slightly tetragonous
- Tube dimensions : 6-14mm long x 5-9mm wide at the rim
- Sepal color upper : green with dark purple streaks in bud and at anthesis, changing abruptly to dark crimson-purple before dehiscing
- Sepal color lower :
- Sepal shape : lanceolate, spreading to recurved
- Sepal tips :
- Sepal dimensions : 7-19mm long x 3.5-7mm wide at the base
- Corolla opening color : red
- Corolla mature color :
- Corolla shape : petals oblanceolate to elliptic, erect, lavender to light purple, turning darker with age
- Corolla silhouette :
- Petal margins :
- Corolla dimensions : 4-11mm long x 1-4mm wide
- Nectary : poorly defined, 3-5mm high
- Stamens :
- Filaments : 0.8-1mm thick, 6-18mm x 5-12mm long, purple
- Anthers : suborbicular, attached apically with a thick connective, 1.3-1.8mm long x 1.5-2.5mm wide, purplish, with reniform thecae,
- Pistil :
- Style : stout, 1-1.5 mm thick, 14-30 mm long, faint cream-colored-purple
- Stigma : clavate-capitate, 1.5-3mm long x 1.5-3mm wide, faintly four-cleft at apex, light green
MISCELLANEOUS
- Flower : single
- Flowers : hermaphroditic, flowers axillary on young, leafy shoots or grouped on short, leafless side shoots off the main branches
- Flower size :
- Flower display :
- Flower bud :
- Fruit : oblong-fusiform or ellipsoid, 9-16mm long x 5-10mm wide, purple-black and juicy when ripe
- Seed : oblong-triangular, 0.9-1.2mm long x 0.4-0.7mm thick, light brown
- Habit : small tree, with numerous ascending branches, trunk with tan-copper, slightly fissured bark, 5 to 30 cm in diameter
- Hardiness:
- Height : 2-7 m
- Light/Climate :
- Optimal light conditions :
- Remarks : flowers mostly in the dry season, from July to October, but occasionally and less intensively in other months throughout the year
- Named :
- Lookalikes :
- Year (of first description) : 1940
- Botanist : Moore J.W.
- Authors : Moore 1940
- Original publication : Occas. Pap. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Mus. 16: 13 1940
- Habitat : endemic to several of the highest peaks on the western (drier) side of the island of Tahiti
- Elevation : 1150-2000
- Native country : Tahiti
- Synonyms :
- Gametic chromosome number n = 11
FOLIAGE
- Leaves : mostly opposite, occasionally ternate, less commonly alternate or subopposite, subcoriaceous to firm fleshy, petioles stout, 1.5 to 3 mm thick when fresh, 5 to 25 (to 35) mm long, stipules triangular, dark purple, 0.5 to 0.8 mm long, 0.4 to 0.75 mm wide and crassate at the base, caducous
- Foliage color upper side : green
- Foliage color lower side : whitish and sometimes purple-flushed
- Leaf dimensions : (2-) 4-12cm long x (1.5-) 2-6cm wide
- Leaf shape : (broadly) elliptic or obovate
- Leaf margin : subentire with small, reddish, glandular teeth, midvein raised below
- Leaf tip : rounded or obtuse
- Leaf base : rounded to acute
- Pubescence :
- Veins : secondary veins (7 to) 8 to 12 on each side
- Stems :
- Branches : ranchlets subglabrous, 4 to 6 mm thick, usually quadrangular