Alchornea latifolia

Description

Alchornea latifolia is a small evergreen tree, sometimes with a buttressed trunk, growing to a height of about 20 metres (66 ft). The leaves have thick stalks and are ovate to elliptic, with a rounded base and a short pointed apex. They have three veins radiating from the base and are 12 to 25 centimetres (5 to 10 in) long and 6 to 18 centimetres (2 to 7 in) wide. The leaf margins have a small number of short, blunt teeth and the lower side of the leaf blade is downy. The male flowering spike is slender, up to 20 centimetres (8 in) long. The individual flowers are stalkless and have two sepals and eight stamens. The female flowering spike sometimes branches and is a similar length. The individual flowers have four ovate sepals, a two or three part ovary, and styles up to 2 centimetres (0.8 in) long. The fruits are reddish capsules about 7 millimetres (0.3 in) in diameter.