Ardisia.
Previously in Myrsinaceae it is now subfamily Myrsinoideae in Family Primulaceae.
Plants of the World Online (Kew) accepts 735 species.
They are native to Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
Australia has 7 native species with 2 in S. E. Queensland.
Some exotics have become invasive weeds.
They are shrubs and trees up to 4 (10) m high with a few woody herbs.
Lateral branches are swollen at the base, there are punctate glands on many parts and sometmes hairs.
Leaves are sub-opposite and, being very close near the stem ends often appear to be in whorls.
Most species have leaves on a petiole but in a few the blades are directly attached.
Leaves almost allways have small lobes or teeth (crenate or serrate).
A characteristic feature is the presencce of nodules, dots or streaks .
These can be dark, clear or coloured.
Inflorescences are in the axils of terminal leaves or small leaf-like bracts.
The bisexual flowers are on a pedicel that may be very short.
Inflorescences, rarely a simple spike (a raceme with flowers along the midrib), are mostly a spike that resemble an umbel (all pedicels attached to the top of the peduncle) or a corymb (umbel with a flat top). These may be branched.
The (4) 5 sepals are typically joined at the base with longer sometimes overlapping lobes.
The (4) 5 petals are also joined just at the base with long lobes.
The overlapping lobes may flare out or bend back.
The mostly white or pink petals often have small black or yellowish-brown dots, nodules or streaks.
The 5 long or short stamen filaments insert on or near the base of the corolla tube.
The large dorsifixed anthers open through apical pores, or short or long slits.
The lower lobes lie around the ovary and the tips lie close around the style.
There may be glands on the anthers or the connective tissue between them.
The roughly spherical or ovoid superior ovary has a few to many ovules typically in several rows down the placenta.
The long thin style has a tiny stigma.
Only one ovule develops making the fruit a drupe.
The base of the style remains on the shiny white, pink, red to blackish-purple fruit.
In some species it has longitudinal ridges and there may be dark spots.
Ardisia crispa (shrubs to 2 m with slightly crenate leaves) and A. bakeri (trees to 10 m with markedly crenate leaves) are found in S.E. Queensland.
Ardisia crenata and A. elliptica are very occasionally seen in gardens.
J.F.
