Ardisia elliptica Thunb

Thunberg, C.P. (1798) Nova Genera Plantarum 8: 119. Type: Sri Lanka.

Shoe-button Ardisia

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 2 m tall.

Leaf blades about 10-13 x 3.5-4.5 cm, petioles about 0.9-1.6 cm, grooved on the upper surface. Lateral veins curving inside the blade margin and forming inconspicuous loops. Oil dots translucent in fresh material (pink to red in dried leaves), numerous, rather large, mainly orbicular in shape with a scattering of streaky dots.

Features not available.

Fruits depressed globose, about 10-12 mm diam, calyx persistent at the base. Seeds globose, about 6 mm diam. Testa with longitudinal striations. Embryo about 4 mm long. Radicle about 3.5 mm long, much longer than the cotyledons.

Cotyledons broadly elliptic to orbicular, about 13-22 x 7-11 mm, glabrous, petioles short, about 2-3 mm long. Oil dots red. First pair of leaves about 22-28 x 10-14 mm, petioles 2-4 mm long. Oil dots red. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade narrowly elliptic, oil dots red, mainly orbicular in shape. Seed germination time 61 days.

An introduced species originally from Asia, now naturalised in NT, CYP, NEQ, CEQ and in south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales. Altitudinal range from close to sea level to 800 m. Grows in moist rain forest and swampy areas.

This species may have medicinal properties. Previously this species was incorrectly referred to as Ardisia solanacea.