Psychotria lucens Hiern

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or subshrub,? sometimes creeping, 0.3–1.5 m. tall, with glabrous stems.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades elliptic, narrowly oblong-elliptic or obovate-elliptic,, (7–)12–28 cm. long, 3–12 cm. wide, acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base, glabrous on both surfaces, drying brownish beneath, thin, with 6–16 pairs of lateral nerves; domatia and nodules absent; petioles 0.5–2.5 cm. long, glabrous; stipules ovate, 0.8–1.8 cm. long, glabrous, often bilobed at the apex, the lobes 2.5–6 mm. long, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers heterostylous, 4-merous in several- to much-branched panicles 2–20 cm. long; peduncle 0.5–10 cm. long, glabrous; secondary branches 0.5–1.6 cm. long; pedicels 0–3 mm. long, lengthening to 5 mm. in fruit; lower bracts ovate-triangular or narrowly triangular, up to 5 mm. long, glabrous, rest minute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube obconical, 0.75–1 mm. long, glabrous; limb cupuliform, 0.5 mm. long, glabrous, truncate or the lobes very short.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white or greenish ochre, glabrous outside; tube 1.6–2 mm. long; lobes ovate, 1.5 mm. long, 1.3 mm. wide, horned at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens with filaments 1.5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 0.5 mm. long or almost free in long-styled flowers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style 1 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 2 mm. long in long-styled flowers; stigma-lobes 0.5–0.7 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Drupes red, of 2 pyrenes, ellipsoid, ± 9 mm. long, ± 6 mm. wide, glabrous, not grooved; pyrenes semi-ellipsoid, 8.5 mm. long, 5.5 mm. wide, 3 mm. thick, the ventral face plane, the dorsal face 3-ribbed or slightly undulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds slightly smaller, ventral face plane, but with a T-shaped median fissure, dorsal face 3-ribbed or slightly undulate; albumen not ruminate.