红果薄柱草 hong guo bao zhu cao

Gomozia granadensis Mutis ex Linnaeus f., Suppl. Pl. 129. 1782; Nertera depressa Banks & Solander ex Gaertner; N. taiwaniana Masamune.

Creeping herbs; stems angled, glabrescent. Petiole slender, 2-4 mm, glabrescent; leaf blade drying papery and often pale abaxially, ovate or ovate-triangular, 0.3-1 × 0.2-0.8 cm, glabrescent, generally smooth abaxially, base obtuse to shallowly cordate, apex acute to obtuse; secondary veins 2 or 3 pairs; stipules ovate-triangular, 0.5-1 mm, glabrescent, apex acute and often glandular. Flowers sessile or subsessile. Calyx glabrous; ovary portion ellipsoid, ca. 1 mm; limb reduced. Corolla white to pale green, glabrous; tube 0.5-1 mm; lobes ca. 1 mm. Drupes red, subglobose, 3-5 mm in diam.; pyrenes 2.

Hillsides at middle elevations. Taiwan [Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines; Australia, Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama), North America (Mexico), Pacific islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela), Subantarctic islands (Tristan da Cunha)].

See comments under the genus regarding the distinction of this species from Nertera nigricarpa. No specimens have been seen from China during the preparation of this treatment that correspond to N. granadensis, separately from N. nigricarpa; thus, its presence in China remains to be confirmed and the placement of the name N. taiwaniana remains to be confirmed. Puff et al. (Rubiaceae of Thailand, 210. 2005) reported that N. granadensis has been recorded for Thailand, but they found no specimens nor the source of that report.

This species has often been called Nertera depressa, the type of the genus; however, Gomozia granadensis is an older name for this species and thus has priority over the epithet "depressa," so the correct name is N. granadensis.