Gynochthodes umbellata - Umbelled Morinda

Umbelled Morinda is a climbing shrub, up to 20 m long, slender, sarmentose. Stipules are flat, up to 1.5 cm long. Leaf-stalks up to 1 cm long. Leaves are elliptic to elliptic-lanceshaped, rarely ovate, blade 6-10 x 2-5 cm, hairless, tip pointed to tapering, base pointed to wedge-shaped, lateral nerves up to 8 pairs. Flowers are borne in a branch-end umbel, with heads small, less than 1.5 cm in diameter, spherical, carried on stalks up to 3 cm long. Flowers are 4-merous; sepal-cup limb short, flat; flower tubes very short, petals up to 8 mm long, oblong-ovate, much longer than the tube, inside hairy in the throat; anthers oblong, up to 1 mm, filament short, included; stigmas bi-lobed, styles 4 mm long. Drupes are pear-shaped, irregularly lobed; seeds oblong. Sea shores to hill slopes. Umbelled Morinda is found in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indo-Malaya and Australia. Flowering: June-September.