Neea mollis

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Neea mollis

Description

Subshrubs, shrubs, or small trees 0.8-3(-5) m; branches, leaves and inflorescence-axes densely and softly puberulent with multicellular purple-red, to ca. 1 mm long hairs (hairs brownish or rufous when dry)Leaves opposite or subopposite; petiole to 3 cm long; blade membranaceous, broadly elliptical, to 26.5 x 12.5 cm, obtuse to acuminate at apex, cuneate or attenuate and equal at base, ciliate, glabrous above, rufous-pubescent beneath, hairs densest on veins beneath, becoming glabrate. Inflorescence a terminal or subterminal, few- to many-flowered, branched cyme; flowers subtended by 5 bracteoles of ca. 1 mm long. Male flowers not observed. Female perianth tubular-campanulate, ca. 1-1.5 mm long, constricted just above the ovary, minutely puberulent, green, bluntly 5-dentate, teeth 0.5 mm long. Anthocarp narrowly ellipsoid or oblongoid, to 15 x 8 mm, weakly 4- or 5-angled, minutely puberulent, green when young, deep wine-red when mature.

Distribution

French Guiana present, Guianas present, Guyana present, Southern America
Brazil; in moist forests of Guyana and French Guiana; 51 collections studied, all from the Guianas (GU: 12; FG: 39).

Common Name

English (French Guiana): alasiku, ka'asala

Uses

Employed as a dye plant by the French Guiana Wayapi.