Maesa haplobotrys F.Muell.

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1865) Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 5: 161. Type: Queensland, Mackay-River (Tully), J. Dallachy; holo: MEL?.

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub 2-5 m tall.

'Oil dots' small and inconspicuous, more readily visible on the underside on the leaf blade. Leaf blades about 8.5-13 x 3.5-6.5 cm. Leaves and twigs glabrous, occasionally sparsely pubescent. Teeth usually absent or inconspicuous. Petiole channelled on the upper surface.

Flowers small, about 2-2.5 mm diam. Ovules immersed in fleshy tissue collectively forming a spherical mass on the placenta. Style short or absent. Stigma green.

Fruits globular, about 5-7 mm diam., calyx lobes persistent at the apex. Seeds numerous, clothed in small orange-yellow glands. Embryo ellipsoid, cotyledons very small.

Cotyledons elliptic, about 2-6 x 2-4 mm, apex rounded, base cuneate. First pair of true leaves with toothed margins. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic, apex acute, base attenuate to cuneate. Margin smooth or marked by a few very small indentations. Oil dots small and numerous. Stem marked by numerous pale elongated lenticels. Seed germination time 17 to 46 days.

Occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 450 m. Usually grows in the drier rain forest types and monsoon forest. Also occurs in New Guinea.

Food plant for the larval stages of the White Lineblue Butterfly. Common & Waterhouse (1981).