Myrsine serpenticola Jackes

Jackes, B.R. (2005) Australian Systematic Botany 18(5): 413-414. Type: Queensland. Port Curtis: Cobra Resources 'Waste Ck', c. 15.2 km SSW Marlborough township, I.G. Champion 1658A, C. Whereat & W. Stacey, 19.vii.2000 (holo: BRI; iso: CANB).

Small tree or shrub, up to 6 m tall. Bark mottled to nondescript, blaze reddish. Prominent lenticels on branchlets.

Leaves simple, alternate. Petiole 0.3-0.6 cm long. Leaf blade elliptic, narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, weakly asymmetrical, 5-11 cm × 2.2-3.7 cm, base cuneate, margin entire, apex obtuse to acute. Midrib slightly raised on upper surface, veins 7-11 on each side of midrib. Lamina with red globular glands and elongated or lineate transparent streaks on each side of midrib.

Inflorescence ramiflorous, of 4-5 flowers in fascicles along branches between and below leaves. Plants dioecious. Flowers unisexual, although can appear bisexual with antherodes (staminodes with only sterile anthers present) well developed except for the absence of pollen. Male flowers not seen. Female flowers pedicellate, pedicels about 2-4 mm long, attached to short burrs on the twig, 4-6 merous. Calyx gland dotted, calyx tube about 0.25 mm long, lobes about 0.75 mm long. Corolla tube very short 1 mm long, lobes 2 mm long, yellow. Antherodes about 1 mm long, filaments very short to absent, attached to corolla opposite lobes. Ovary about 1.5 mm long, unilocular, with 5 ovules embedded in central placental mass. Stigma sessile, capitate, 5 lobed.

Fruit a depressed-globular drupe, about 4-4.5 mm diam., calyx persistent at the base. Pedicel about 1 mm long. Fruit one-seeded.

Seedlings not seen.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in CEQ from near Marlborough in serpentinite country and southwards to Rainbow Beach. Collected with dry rainforest species along watercourses or in coastal sandy soil.

3599