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Taxonomy
Aulacocalyx caudata (Hiern) Keay
Nomenclature
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Family: RubiaceaeGenus: Aulacocalyx
SUMMARY
Shrub or tree up to 5 m high; branchlets striate to terete, tomentose with antrorse hairs, glabrescent. Leaf blade 8.5 - 13(- 18) x 3.2 - 6.5(- 8.3) cm, elliptic to ovate, distinctly asymmetric and usually rounded, cordate to auriculate on one side at the base, acuminate or caudate, apiculate to rounded at the apex, puberulous on the midvein above at least when young, puberulous on the veins below, with 8 - 10 (- 14) pairs of lateral veins, light green to brown when dry; petiole 1 - 3 mm long, tomentose. Stipules c. 4 x 6 mm, deltate, cuspidate, with appressed hairs. Inflorescence 1 - 3(- 6)-flowered, subsessile or shortly pedunculate, puberulous, fragrant; peduncle 1- 5 mm long; bracts 1.5- 4 mm long, deltate to ovate, acuminate, with appressed hairs, persistent; pedicels up to 2 mm long. Hypanthium shorter than the calyx tube, densely tomentose. Calyx tube 2.5 - 4 mm long, frequently split, tomentose with appressed hairs outside, densely tomentose inside; lobes (1.2 -)3 - 6 mm long, triangular to subulate, apiculate, pubescent, green. Corolla 4.5 - 8 cm long, pubescent, white; tube densely pubescent outside, sparsely villous at the upper 1/2 or 2/3 inside, lacking a distinct villous ring, white or pale greenish-white; lobes 5, 15 - 33 x 5 - 10 mm, elliptic, acute to acuminate, pubescent, white inside, white to pale green outside. Anthers 1 - 1.3 cm long, attached at their midpoint to the top of the corolla tube, round or shortly bifid at the base, included or with the apex exserted. Style included, erect; stigma included or slightly exserted, 0.5 - 1 mm diam., unequal lobes divergent and recurved at the apex. Fruit 1.2 - 1.4(- 1.7) cm diam., subglobose, green, black when dry, pubescent, crowned by the more or less conical calyx. Seeds 2 - 4, c. 6 x 4 mm, black when dry.
Source: Figueiredo E. 1997. Revision of Aulacocalyx (Rubiaceae-Gardenieae). Kew Bulletin, 52: 637-658.