Psychotria whistleri
Psychotria whistleri, the Rarotonga psychotria, is a herbaceous plant, a member of the Rubiaceae family.
Description
Small shrub that grows up to 2 meters tall, with black, brittle stems. The leaves are glossy green on both sides, oval-shaped, and grow in clusters at the tips of the branches. They are up to 9 cm long and 3 cm wide, tapering to a sharp tip and base, with smooth edges and 1 cm stalks. The flowers are white, about 15 mm across, with a 1 cm tubular base and five narrow petals up to 7 mm long. The fruits are oval, about 10 mm long and 5 mm wide, and turn red when ripe.
Distribution
It is an endemic species to Cook Islands.
Taxonomy
It was named by Francis Fosberg, in Micronesica 23: 3 in 1990.