Shrubs or treelets, sometimes totally unbranched.
Leaves are variable in size and shape, stalked, always completely
hairless. Lateral veins are always less than 10 pairs. Stipules are
persistent or sometimes with top portion deciduous, interpetiolar or
united around stem, triangular to bifid, sometimes with basal portion
becoming hardened, sometimes glandular at apex or on short appendages.
Flowers are
borne in many- to several-flowered thyrses at branch ends. Axes of
flower-clusters are reddish, red or white, distinctly succulent and
swollen when in fruit. Flowers are 4-5-merous, hermaphrodite, possibly
always heterostylous. Sepals are small, triangular to linear. Flowers
are funnel-shaped, tube slightly curved, often hairy around the throat,
lobes valvate in bud, ascending to spreading in open flowers. Stamens
remain inside the upper part of the flower tube. Anthers are carried on
short filaments, included (long-styled morph), or filaments longer and
anthers sometimes partially exserted from throat (short-styled morph).
Ovary 2-celled, each locule with a basally attached solitary ovule;
style with 2-lobed stigma always included. Fruit is crowned by
persistent sepals, an ovoid to globose black drupe with 2 one-seeded,
plano-convex pyrenes.
Identification credit: Giby Kuriakose
Photographed at Abby Falls, Coorg, Karnataka.
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The flower labeled Curved Flower Snake Chassalia is ...