Psychotria sp. Mt Lewis (V.K.Moriarty 2445)

Provisional HISPID phrase name.

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub 1-3 m tall.

Stipules glabrous, encircling the twigs. Leaf blades about 5-14 x 1.4-3.3 cm. Lateral veins not very obvious and forming only indistinct loops inside the blade margin. Twigs longitudinally ribbed.

Flowers about 2-2.5 mm diam. Calyx tube (hypanthium) less than 0.5 mm long, lobes broad, less than 0.5 mm long. Corolla tube about 2 mm long with hairs on the inner surface about the throat, lobes about 2 mm long. Anthers about 1 mm long, filaments less than 0.5 mm long. Style about 2.5-3 mm long.

Fruits globular, about 10 x 12 mm, outer surface rugose. "Seeds" (endocarp) smooth, not ribbed on the convex surface. Endosperm not or scarcely ruminate. Embryo small, about 2 mm long.

Cotyledons slightly longer than wide, about 11-12 x 9-12 mm, stipules present. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade dark green on the upper surface, lateral veins forming loops inside the blade margin. Stipules interpetiolar, quite large, about 10-12 mm long. Stems with two longitudinal ribs. Seed germination time 57 to 95 days.

Probably endemic to NEQ. Altitudinal range from 80-1200 m. Grows in well developed undisturbed rain forest in a variety of sites, but is most commonly encountered in mountain rain forest.