Myrsine oliveri

Detailed description

Shrub or (rarely) a small gynodioecious tree up to 5m tall. Trunk 0.1-0.15 m dbh; usually solitary rarely multi-trunked or branching from near base, root suckers absent; epicormic growth infrequent; bark smooth, firm (not flaking), dark brown to red-brown or grey-brown, usually clean of lichens and bryophyte growth. Branches upright to shortly spreading, flexible, sparsely lenticellate; branchlets leafy, flexible, initially wine-red or pink, finely pubescent, maturing red-brown and glabrous. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, glabrous except for midrib and leaf margin which at least initially is finely pubescent, adaxially glossy dark green, yellow-green to green tinged pink (rarely sparingly spotted with red), abaxially similar but paler, oil glands numerous, minute (scarcely evident) colourless or flushed pink; midrib light green or yellow-green, slightly raised adaxially, prominently so abaxially, venation evident in fresh and dried material; petioles 5-10 mm long, stout, somewhat fleshy when fresh, dark pink, maroon or purple-black. Lamina (30-)50-65(-100) × (15-)30-40(-55) mm, obovate, elliptic to broadly cuneiform, apex rounded (if so then usually weakly emarginate) or subacute, base cuneately narrowed or attenuate; margins distinctly thickened, often slightly recurved, entire or with upper third of lamina irregularly dentate (juvenile leaves similar but smaller and with entire length of lamina margin regularly dentate). Inflorescence in densely 3-5(-8)-flowered, axillary, cymose fascicles (rarely solitary). Flowers pale yellow flushed with pink, sometimes spotted red, pedicels of flowers 1.8-2.2(-3.0) mm long, pinkish green, stout, glabrous, elongating slightly at fruiting. Pistillate flowers: calyx 1.6-2.0 mm, tube 0.5-0.8 mm, lobes (4-)5, erecto-patent,0.6-0.9 x 0.2-0.5 mm, deltoid, margins finely ciliolate, cilia pinkish; corolla 2.4-3.0 mm, tube 0.4-0.6 mm,lobes 4, erecto-patent to spreading (if spreading then with apices strongly decurved at anthesis), 2.3-3.0 x 1.3-1.4 mm, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, margins finely ciliolate, cilia pinkish, apex rounded or obtuse. Antherodes malformed, 0.45-5.8 x 0.3-0.4 mm, apiculus recurved, pollen absent. Ovary 2.0 x 2.4 mm long, ellipsoid. Stigma subsessile to sessile, 2.2-2.8 mm diameter, capitate, ± globular. Staminate flowers: calyx 1.8-2.2 mm, tube 0.65-0.8 mm, lobes 4,erecto-patent, 0.8-1.1 x 0.4-0.6 mm, deltoid, margins finely ciliolate, cilia pinkish; corolla 2.8-3.6 mm, tube 0.45-0.8 mm,lobes (4-)5, spreading (with apices strong decurved at anthesis), 2.6-3.8 x 1.6-1.9 mm, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, margins fimbriate, pinkish, apex rounded or obtuse. Stamens (4-)5, filaments 2.2-2.8 x 0.22-0.30 mm, pinkish, stamens yellow, apiculus recurved. Ovary absent or rudimentary, malformed. Bisexual flowers: calyx 1.7-2.0 mm, tube 0.34-0.7 mm, lobes 5, erecto-patent, 0.6-0.9 x 0.2-0.5 mm, deltoid, margins fimbriate, pinkish; corolla 2.42-2.8 mm, tube 0.4-0.6 mm,lobes 5, spreading (with apices strongly decurved at anthesis), 2.3-2.9 x 1.2-1.31 mm, elliptic, margins fimbriate,cilia pinkish, apex rounded or obtuse. Stamens (4-)5, filaments 2.2-2.8 x 0.22-0.30 mm, pinkish, stamens yellow, apiculus recurved. Ovary 2.0 x 2.4 mm long, ellipsoid. Stigma subsessile to sessile, 2.2-2.8 mm diameter, capitate, ± globular. Drupe 1-seeded, 5.0-8.1 mm diameter, subturbinate-globose to globose, violet to purple-black, sometimes white spotted. Endocarp 3.0-4.0 × 5.0-6.0 mm, subturbinate-globose to globose, pale brown, surface irregular with pale longitudinal veins.