Compilation
Myrsine rhododendroides

An evergreen tree 3–18 m. tall, with longitudinally furrowed, brownish–grey to blackish bark. Leaves coriaceous, glabrous, clustered at branch ends; lamina 4–9(15) x 1–3·5(5) cm., elliptic to oblanceolate, entire, acute or rounded at apex, tapering or acute at base; surfaces usually dotted with minute circular scales, often also marked with resin–canals in the form of dots or short to long lines radiating from the midrib; nervature prominent or inconspicuous; lamina dark green above, paler beneath; petiole 5–10 mm. long, often reddish. Flowers fasciculate on short shoots in axils of current and recently fallen leaves, whitish or greenish yellow, pentamerous, hermaphrodite or sometimes with functionless stamens or ovary, each subtended by a rust–coloured triangular bract c. 1 mm. long; pedicels 1–1·5 mm. long, stout. Calyx cup–shaped; sepals c. 1 mm. long, almost free, minutely papillose–ciliate. Corolla ellipsoid in bud, petals almost free, c. 2·5 mm. long, oblong–acute, dotted with conspicuous resin–ducts, densely and minutely papillose–ciliate at margins (in bud neighbouring petals adhering by papillae). Anthers sessile, dorsifixed to corolla lobes, c. 1·5 mm. long, introrse. Gynoecium c. 1·5 mm. long; ovary globose, tapering at apex to a short style; stigma thick, conical. Fruit a globose purple 1–seeded drupe 3–5 mm. in diameter, borne on previous year’s wood.