Malanea Aubl. (Aublet 1775: 106, t. 41)

Roxo, Rafaela Sales Pereira & Barbosa, Maria Regina de Vasconcellos, 2023, The genus Malanea Aubl. (Rubiaceae) in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Plant Ecology and Evolution 156 (3), pp. 257-275 : 257

Malanea Aubl. (Aublet 1775: 106, t. 41)

Cunninghamia Schreb. ( Schreber 1791: 789) - Type species: Cunninghamia sarmentosa (Aubl.) Forsyth f.

Type species.

Malanea sarmentosa Aubl.

Description.

Lianas or scandent shrubs, unarmed; branchlets cylindrical, with lenticels or not, the young ones compressed or coplanar. Stipules entire, interpetiolar, free, caducous after 1 to 2 distalmost nodes, membranaceous, apex round, acute or acuminate. Leaves simple, opposite, petiolate; blade oblong, ovate, obovate, or elliptical to narrow-elliptic, margin entire, flat or revolute, membranaceous to leathery, glabrous, sparsely pubescent to adpressed pubescent or tomentose to hirsute; venation brochidodromous, secondary veins impressed or sulcate above, prominent or impressed below, tertiary veins reticulate or inconspicuous, with or without axillary hairy domatia. Inflorescence axillary, pedunculate, paniculate or spiciform, bracts 2 at base. Flowers 4-merous, bisexual, heterostylous, sessile, actinomorphic; subtended by 3 bracteoles; hypanthium turbinate. Calyx lobed or dentate, or truncate to subtruncate, glabrous to glabrescent or tomentose. Corolla funnelform, valvate in bud, externally glabrous or sericeous, internally villous or lanate at mouth, white, cream or yellowish. Stamens free at base, exserted, inserted near the corolla mouth; anthers linear, dorsifixed, opening by introrse longitudinal splits. Style cylindrical, glabrous, 2-lobed; nectariferous disc present. Ovary 2-locular, ovule 1 per locule, apically attached, axile, pendulous. Fruits drupaceous, cylindrical, ellipsoid, fusiform or oblong, glabrous to glabrescent or hirsute to tomentose, reddish, purple or black when ripe, with persistent calyx lobes; pyrenes 1-2.