Myrsine kermadecensis

Detailed description

Gynodioecious shrub or tree up to 10 m tall; bark firm, rough, initially dark red-brown, aging grey. branches numerous more or less spreading to ascending. Leaves coriaceous, dark or light green, adaxially glossy; petioles stout, 6-15 mmlong; lamina 30-680 × 25-40 mm, elliptic- to obovate-oblong, obtuse or apiculate, mostly entire, sometimes sparingly toothed toward leaf base; margins of shade foliage flat, otherwise slightly to strongly recurved. Inflorescences in many flowered fascicles. Pistillate flowers; greenish yellow with purple spotting or wine-red with purple spotting; calyx 1.0-1.5 mm,tube 0.4-0.6 mm, lobes 4-5, 0.6-0.9 x 0.6-0.8 mm, triangular, glandular, apex acute to subacute; Corolla 2.1-2.7 mm, tube 0.2-0.3 mm,lobes 4-5, 1.9-2.4 x 0.9-1.0 mm, elliptic, glandular, apex acute. Antherodes malformed, 0.75-1.15 x 0.5-0.6 mm, apiculus strongly recurved; pollen absent. Ovary 0.8-0.9 x 0.8-0.9 mm. Stigma 0.3-0.4 mm high, spreading, outer parts appressed to ovary ± 2.5 mm. diameter. Bisexual flowers,greenish yellow with purple spotting or wine-red with purple spotting; calyx 1.0-1.5 mm, tube 0.3-0.5 mm, lobes 4-5, 0.7-1.0 x 0.7-0.8 mm, triangular, glandular, apex acute. Corolla2.7-3.1 mm, tube 0.2-0.3 mm, lobes 4-5, 2.5-2.8 x 1.1-1.3 mm, elliptic, glandular, apex acute. Anthers 1.1-1.8 x 0.8-1.2 mm, apiculus upright; pollen abundant. Ovary 0.75-0.9 x 0.75-1.0 mm. Stigma 0.75-0.8 mm high, upright. Fruit (8)-6-12 mm. diameter when fresh, globose, purple, dark violet-purple or black. Endocarp 3.2-3.5 x 4.0-5.5 mm; buff brown to pale brown with pale longitudinal veins; transversely elliptic to broadly elliptic, terete with 10-12 distinct longitudinal ridges; apex rounded with a small central dimple.