Psychotria sp

 

Psychotria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It contains 1,645 species and is therefore one of the largest genera of flowering plants. The genus has a pantropical distribution and members of the genus are small understorey trees in tropical forests. Some species are endangered or facing extinction due to deforestation, especially species of central Africa and the Pacific.

Many species, including Psychotria viridis, produce the psychedelic chemical dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

Psychotria - Wikipedia

Stem

Shrub or small tree to 5 m high; bark greyish white, blotched, finely longitudinally fissured. Buds and young stems usually sparsely hairy, stems becoming hairless.

Leaves

Leaves simple, opposite or rarely in whorls of 3. Stipules interpetiolar, broad, oblong-lanceolate, united into a sheath, the tips obtuse and free, 5-10 mm long, becoming membranous and reddish brown. Petiole 4-12 mm long. Leaf blade oblanceolate to obovate or oblong-elliptic, 5-12 cm long, 1.5-5.0 cm wide, base tapered, margins entire, thickened, apex acuminate, acute or obtuse. Lateral veins 5-9 pairs. Domatia prominent as hairy tufts or pits or hairless. Both surfaces glossy and hairless or almost so. Upper surface mid to dark green, lower surface paler green.

Flowers

Inflorescences terminal or axillary, dichasial cymes with several branches. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, 5-merous, white and shortly hairy, sessile. Calyx tubular and c. 1.5 mm long, green. Corolla 5-7 mm long, tubular with spreading to recurved lobes, tube c. 3 mm long, white. Stamens 5; ovary inferior.

Fruit

Fruit fleshy, a drupe, ellipsoid, 5-7 mm diam., 4-7 mm long, white, hairy, with persistent calyx; stones or endocarp 1 or 2, each 1-seeded.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in CEQ near Bowen southwards to near Gympie in south eastern Queensland. Grows in monsoon forest and littoral rainforest.

 

Psychotria sp. Shute Harbour (L.J.Webb 7916) (lucidcentral.org)

 

https://youtu.be/AEnDxL17oc8?t=1029