Description

Shrub to tree: branches basitonic, in axils of cataphylls; twigs terete, 1–2 mm diam.; epidermis brownish; terminal bud unknown; cataphylls persisting on current flush, up to 4 mm long; indument puberulous, caducous after one flush, the hairs sparse, up to 1 mm long, straight to curved, appressed ascending, brownish. Leaves: petioles slender, 1–1.5 cm X 1 mm, terete; blades chartaceous, flat, narrowly elliptic, 9–15 X 2.5–4.5 cm; base acute, 70–100°; apex acute, 50–70°, ultimately acuminate for up to 1.5 cm; margin plane; primary vein above and below raised; secondary veins 5–8 pairs, equidistant, brochidodromous, above slightly raised, below raised, diverging at ca. 60°, evenly arching, chordal angle ca. 30°, the angle uniform along blade length; tertiary veins above and below slightly raised, random-reticulate to scalariform; higher order veins above and below slightly raised; surface above and below brown, the veins similar; indument above absent, the primary vein puberulous at base, below puberulous, the hairs sparse, up to 0.3 mm long, straight to curved, appressed, brownish, somewhat denser on the veins, persisting for at least two flushes. Staminate plant unknown. Pistillate inflorescence: basitonic, erect?, peduncle 4 cm long, hypopodium ca. 4 cm X 2 mm, branching unknown, color and indument as on twigs; bracts not seen. Pistillate flowers unknown. Fruits: pedicels 25 X 5 mm, abruptly enlarging to form the cupule; cupule hemispherical, 18 X 13 mm, smooth, the margin undulate, tepals persisting; berry elliptic, 28 X 18 mm.

Field notes

Tree 6–7.6 m tall.  Cupule bright red; berry green.

Distribution (Figure 13)

Known only from the type collection from the upper Amazon.  It grows in dense forest at 150–350 m elev.  Mature fruits found in late August.

Additional specimens examined

Discussion

I have not seen the four-locellate staminodes reported and described by Chanderbali (2003).  Rhodostemonodaphne debilis is indeed very similar to R. crenaticupula.  It can be distinguished from the latter by its puberulous indument with shorter, sparse, appressed hairs, slender petioles, its brownish drying leaves with inconspicuous venation, and larger fruits with the persisting tepals slightly distinguishable on the undulating margin of the cupule.