Psychotria sp. Utchee Creek (H.Flecker NGNC5313)

Provisional HISPID phrase name.

Big-leaf Psychotria; Psychotria, Big-leaf

Occasionally grows into a small tree but usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-3 m tall.

Stipules glabrous, triangular, about 4-8 mm long tapering to a point. Leaf blades usually rather large, about 14-35 x 4-10 cm, sparsely puberulent on the underside. Lateral veins forming loops inside the blade margin. Petioles about 2-2.5 cm long, flat on the upper surface. Reddish hairs present on the twigs beneath the stipules.

Calyx tube (hypanthium) bout 1-1.5 mm long, lobes about 0.2-0.3 mm long. Corolla tube about 1.5 mm long, lobes thick and fleshy, minutely papillose, about 1.5-2 mm long, hooked at the apex. Corolla tube densely clothed on the inner surface with long white hairs about the throat and anthers. Anthers about 0.7-0.8 mm long, protruding beyond the corolla tube. Pollen white. Style inserted in a fleshy disk at the apex of the ovary.

Fruits globular, about 7-12 mm diam. "Seeds" (endocarps) somewhat rugose on the outer surface (not ribbed). Endosperm ruminate. Embryo small, about 1-1.5 mm long, cotyledons slightly wider than the radicle.

Cotyledons stipulate, +/- cordate or orbicular, about 10-15 mm diam. First pair of leaves opposite and stipulate. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic, quite large, somewhat fleshy, stipules about 7-8 mm long, connate at the base and encircling the stem, apex aristate. Seed germination time 137 to 253 days.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 750 m. Grows as an understory plant in undisturbed lowland and upland rain forest.