Prismatomeris tetrandra is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or tree with leathery or papery leaves, white or pale purple flowers, and ovoid drupes. The species is native to a large region of south and south-east Asia.
Prismatomeris tetrandra was described in 1824, and is listed as of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Taxonomy In 1824, William Roxburgh described Prismatomeris tetrandra, placing it in the genus Coffea. In 1891, Karl Moritz Schumann placed it in the genus Prismatomeris.
Two subspecies are recognised: Prismatomeris tetrandra subsp. malayana Prismatomeris tetrandra subsp. tetrandra
Distribution Prismatomeris tetrandra is native to the wet tropical biome of Bangladesh, Borneo (Sabah and Kalimantan), Cambodia, China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and southern Yunnan), India (the Andaman Islands and Assam), Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its extent of occurrence is at least .
The species grows in forests and thickets, at elevations of .
Description Prismatomeris tetrandra is a shrub or small tree. It grows up to high. The branches are tetrangular to subcylindrical.
The leaf stems are long. The leaves are lanceolate, elliptic, oblong, ovate, or obovate, long, and wide. When dry, the leaves are leathery, or stiffly papery and shiny.
The inflorescence is a fascicle or umbel, measuring long. When present, the flower stems are long. The hypanthium is hemispherical. The corolla is a white or pale purple tube, measuring long. The corolla has four or five lobes, which are lanceolate, and long. The plant flowers from May to September.
The fruit is a smooth, subglobose drupe measuring wide. The plant fruits from September to December.
Conservation In 2023, the IUCN assessed Prismatomeris tetrandra as of Least Concern. Some subpopulations are threatened by urban development. The species occurs in protected areas.
Nomenclature In Chinese, Prismatomeris tetrandra is known as ().
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