Wikstroemia indica.
This shrub, with a rounded crown can be up to 1.5 m high and 1 wide.
The bark peels in thin strips giving it the common names of Bootlace or Tie Bush.
Young twigs may have a few brown hairs which are gradually lost.
Leaves are on petioles a few mms long with a grooved upper surface.
The ovate to elliptic blades are up to 6 cm long by 2 to 3 cm wide.
They have a pointed tip with a small mucro (short abrupt point) and a rounded to wedge-shaped base.
The lower surface is a paler green, the veins are faint and there are no hairs.
The terminal inflorescences, up to 2.5 cm long are on a stalk or peduncle up to 1 cm long.
The few flowers are on a very short stalk or pedicel or none at all.
The tubular hypanthium (calyx or perianth tube) of fused sepal bases is up to 1 cm long.
With 4 flaring sepal lobes 1 or 2 mm long it can be white, cream, greenish or yellow.
The 8 stamens are in 2 whorls inserted in the upper part of the hypanthium.
Around the base of the superior ovary are the nectary lobes.
The ovary has a very short or no style and a spherical stigma.
The fruit are ellipsoidal red drupes up to 8 mm long with one seed.
J.F.
