Helixanthera alata

Primary tabs

Helixanthera alata

Description

Glabrous except for the young parts shortly and densely tomentose. Leaves subopposite, scattered or spirally arranged; lamina lanceolate to elliptic, 5-8 by 1.5-2.5 cm, attenuate or cuneate at the base to a slender petiole 8-16 mm long, attenuate and acute to shortly rounded at the apex, glossy above, dull below; venation pinnate with the midrib distinct and raised on both sides and the secondary and tertiary veins obscure but numerous and more or less parallel at c. 45° to the midrib. Inflorescences at the nodes and also terminal on short leafy shoots, a 1- to 8-flowered raceme; axis 5-70 mm long, distinctly angular; pedicels 25-40 mm long, strongly winged, widened upwards and 3-5 mm wide at the apex. Ovary narrowly cylindric, 5-7 mm long; calyx limb c. 1 mm long, erect, irregular at the margin.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Sumatera (Sumatera present)
Malesia: Sumatra, known only from Mt Singgalang.

Notes

Closely related to and probably derived from the more widespread Helixanthera cylindrica, having closely similar leaf, inflorescence and flower architecture, but very distinct in the long flattened pedicels.