Psychotria submontana Domin

Domin, K. (1928) Bibliotheca Botanica 89(4): 1178. Type: Nordost-Queensland: Bellenden-Ker, Dec. 1909, bei Harveys Creek Jan. 1910, Domin syntypes.

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-4 m tall.

Stipules about 8 mm long, fused at the base and encircling the twigs, each stipule ending in one or more aristate tips. Leaf blades narrowly elliptic, about 6-11 x 2-3.5 cm, petioles about 3-8 mm long, channelled on the upper surface. Lateral veins difficult to see on the upper surface of fresh leaves, but quite prominent and dark green on the lower surface. Hairs present on the twigs beneath the stipules. Petiole grooved on the upper surface.

Calyx tube (hypanthium) about 0.5 mm long, lobes about 0.3 mm long. Corolla tube about 2 mm long, lobes about 1.5 mm long, tips inflexed or hooked. Corolla tube and basal part of the corolla lobes clothed in a mass of white hairs. Anthers about 1 mm long, +/- included in the corolla tube. Style inserted in a fleshy disk at the apex of the ovary.

Fruits cylindric or flask-shaped, about 7-13 x 6-9 mm, calyx lobes persistent at the apex. "Seeds" (endocarps) longitudinally ribbed on the convex surface. Seeds about 5-8 x 3-4 mm. Endosperm not ruminate. Embryo small, about 1-2 mm long, cotyledons about as wide as the radicle.

Cotyledons stipulate, rhomboid to almost cordate, about 10-14 x 8-13 mm, margins undulate. First pair of leaves opposite and stipulate. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade narrowly elliptic, about 8.5 x 1.5 cm, petiole about 4-5 mm long, lateral veins about 16-19 on each side of the midrib, forming loops inside the blade margin. Stipules about 5-7 mm long fused at the base and encircling the twigs, apex ending in two aristate tips. Seed germination time 68 to 178 days.

Endemic to NEQ. Altitudinal range from 400-1100 m. Grows as an understory plant in well developed undisturbed upland and mountain rain forest.