Myrsine salicina

Detailed description

Small diffuse to moderately densely branched conical, gynodioecious tree up to 10 m tall. Branches stout, upright, glabrous. Bark firm (not flaking) dark red, maroon-red to almost black. Leaves, fleshy-coriaceous, adaxially dark green, yellow-green or pale pinkish-green, usually blemished with maroon spots, abaxially pink to wine-red or pale green, blemising on adaxial surface apparent on abaxial surface, margins entire, flat or very slightly recurved, midrib deeply impressed adaxially, prominent ridged abaxially (side veins not evident when fresh); petioles 10-14 mm long, fleshy, stout, flattened. Lamina 70-180 × 20-30 mm, narrow-elliptic, narrow-oblong, to linear-oblong, apex obtuse, base attenuate to cuneately narrowed (gradually tapering to base). Inflorescences in ± dense 10-15(-20)-flowered fascicles. Pistillate flowers; greenish yellow to cream with maroon spotting or wine-red with purple-black spotting; calyx 1.3-1.9 mm,tube 0.2-0.6 mm, lobes 4-5, 0.7-1.0 x 0.6-0.8 mm, oblong to ± triangular, apex acute to subacute, margins minutely ciliolate; corolla 2.8-4.2 mm, tube 0.2-0.3 mm,lobes 4-5(-6), 2.0-2.4 x 1.0 mm, elliptic, apex acute. Antherodes malformed, 0.82-1.10 x 0.5-0.6 mm, apiculus strongly recurved; pollen absent. Ovary 1 x 1 mm. Stigma 0.30-0.48 mm high, spreading, outer parts appressed to ovary ± 2.5 mm diameter. Bisexual flowers with the same colouration; calyx 1.6-2.0 mm, tube 0.4-0.7 mm, lobes 4-5, 0.7-1.1 x 0.6-0.9 mm, oblong, apex acute, margins minutely ciliolate. Corolla 3.0-4.2 mm, tube 0.3-0.6 mm, lobes 4-5, 2.6-2.8 x 1.0-1.4 mm, elliptic, apex acute. Anthers 1.1-1.8 x 0.8-1.2 mm, apiculus upright; pollen white. Ovary 0.7-0.9 x 0.8-1.0 mm. Stigma 0.8-0.85 mm high, upright. Drupe (5-)8-9 mm long, obovoid, flesh red to orange (rarely maroon), on pedicels 8-10 mm long. Endocarp 5.0-6.7 × 3.5-4.5 mm, obovate to broadly obovate, dull, buff to buff brown, orange-brown or henna, bearing 1(-2) seeds.