Nectandra purpurea

General description: 

Shrubs or trees, rarely reaching 25 m height.

Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud ca. 1.5 – 3.5 mm in diameter, with short, ±appressed to somewhat ascending, usually straight trichomes, moderately sparse to dense below terminal bud, (sub)glabrescent.  Petioles 4 – 12 (–17) mm long.

Leaves alternate, mostly ±elliptic, varying towards oblong, (ob)lanceolate, or (ob)ovate, widest ±in the middle, (8–) 11–25 (–34) cm long, (3.5–) 5–10 (–12.5) cm wide, (1.6–) 2–3 (–3.2) times longer than wide, tip with a distinct but usually short acumen, base mostly ±obtuse (broadly attenuate to broadly rounded), margin flat to very narrowly revolute, midrib above convex in a ±distinct impression, prominent below, secondary veins similar, (5–) 6–10 (–11) pairs, diverging at (40–) 45–70°, tertiary venation mixed, almost lineate to almost scalariform, widely spaced, distinct to scarcely visible, level to prominent above, slightly raised to prominent below.  Indument (if present) consisting of short appressed trichomes, in young leaves sparse on both sides, glabrescent above, (sub)glabrescent below, axils of secondary veins usually in at least some leaves with ±erect trichomes, mostly surrounding a glabrous spot.  Gland dots in mature leaves not visible to moderately distinct above.

Inflorescences in the axils of foliage leaves as well as in the axils of cataphylls at the base of the new growth, below the terminal bud, or on axillary brachyblasts, 3 – 14 (–20) cm long, lateral branches (0–) 4–12 below the terminal cyme or cluster of cymes, branched (1–) 2 – 4 times, indument consisting of short, appressed to ±ascending trichomes, on peduncle ±sparse, often becoming denser towards the flowers.  Pedicels ca. 1 – 3.5 (–4.5) mm long.

Flowers ca. 3 – 5.5 mm in diameter, tepals ±elliptic, with very fine, relatively inconspicuous papillae on adaxial side, usually also with hairs, especially near the base.  Stamens ca. 1 mm long including a glabrous or hairy filament of ca. 0.5 mm, anthers often slightly papillose at the tip, transverse elliptic to ±ovate, in the third whorl roundish often more squarish, broadly rounded to slightly emarginate at the tip.  Staminodes reaching ca. 1/2 – 3/4 the length of the stamens, with a usually distinct glandular head.  Pistil ca. 1 – 1.5 mm long, ovary subglobose to pear shaped, glabrous or with some trichomes, style slightly shorter than the ovary.  Receptacle shallowly bowl shaped, glabrous or with some appressed hairs inside.

Fruit ellipsoid to very elongate, ca. (11–) 16 – 26 mm long, 8 – 13 mm in diameter, cupule very shallowly bowl shaped (sometimes slightly undulate or minutely lobed), to deeply cup shaped or funnel shaped, up to 4 mm high and ca. 6 mm in diam., pedicel slightly to distinctly thickened, then gradually merging into the cupule.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith