Psychotria fitzalanii Benth.

Bentham, G. (1867) Flora Australiensis 3: 428. Type: Queensland. Port Molle, Fitzalan (Burdekin Expedition).

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub 2-3 m tall but can also grow into a small tree.

Leaf blades about 5.5-6.5 x 2-2.5 cm. Stipules about 2 mm long with two teeth or lobes at the apex. Lateral veins difficult to distinguish on fresh leaves. Petiole flat on the upper surface with a longitudinal central vein.

Inflorescence a terminal panicle on peduncles about 1.7-2.5 cm long. Flowers about 7-8 mm diam. Calyx lobes and hypanthium minutely hairy. Corolla tube about 1.6 mm long, lobes about 2.5 mm long with an inflexed apex, minutely hairy on the outer surface. Corolla lobes with a dense ring of white hairs at the point of attachment of the stamens. Anthers mauve, about 1 mm long, filaments about 0.5 mm long, inserted in the corolla tube just below the petal fusion. Base of style surrounded by an inflated ball-like, cream-coloured disk. Style about 4-5 mm long. Stigma bifid.

Fruit depressed globular, about 5-7 mm diam. 'Seeds' (endocarps) usually two per fruit, hemispherical, about 3-4 mm. Endocarps with faint longitudinal ribs on the outer surface. Endocarp and testa margin lobed, mainly on the curved side. Testa intruding into the endosperm. Embryo about 1-1.5 mm long, cotyledons about 0.5-0.8 mm long, as wide as or slightly wider than the radicle.

Cotyledons elliptic to broadly ovate, about 8-14 x 7-12 mm. Cotyledonary stipules triangular. First pair of leaves elliptic, about 1.5-2 x 0.6-0.8 cm, glabrous. Stipules bifid at the apex. Stem and upper surface of the leaf blades with streaky or vertically oriented markings. Stem longitudinally ridged, ridges run down from either side of petiole base. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade obovate, underside much paler green than the upper surface. Stipules triangular, about 4-5 mm long, bifid at the apex, but encircling the twig at the base, soon becoming dry and membranous. Seed germination time 91 to 173 days.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range in NEQ from 400-1000 m. Grows in monsoon forest, vine thickets and the drier types of rain forest where it is frequently associated with Kauri Pine (Agathis robusta).