Jackes, Ardisia and Tetrardisia 
19 
globular. Inflorescences axillary or terminal 
racemes or panicles (non-Australian) with 4- 
20 flowers per inflorescence. Flowers bisexual, 
4-merous; pedicels thin, papillate, reddish 
glands usually associated with all parts; calyx 
free or fused at base, margins often papillate; 
corolla rotate, white to pink, shortly fused at 
base, lobes imbricate in bud overlapping to 
the right. Stamens free or inserted near the 
base; filaments very short; anthers sagittate, 
introrse, 2-locular, opening by longitudinal 
slits. Ovary superior, globose to subglobose; 
style filiform more than twice length of ovary, 
stigma punctiform. Ovules few, embedded in 
placenta, 2-4-seriate in a single level. Fruit a 
drupe, globose; seed 1. 
Etymology: From Greek tetra - four and 
Ardisia the genus, referring to the 4-merous 
flowers. 
Tetrardisiabifaria(C.T.White&W.D.Francis) 
C.T.White, Bull. Misc. Information Kew 
45 (1933); Ardisia bifaria C.T.White & 
W.D.Francis, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 35: 
73 (1924). Type: Queensland. Cook District: 
Bellenden Ker, March 1922, C.T.White 1308 
(holo: BRI [AQ23413]; iso: K). 
Tetrardisia disticha Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 
504 (1928). Type: Queensland. Cook District: 
Bellenden Ker, December 1909, K.Domin s.n. 
(PR n.v.). 
Illustration: Cooper & Cooper (2004: 334). 
Erect understory shrubs to 2 m tall, although 
usually much shorter, much-branched, 
subverticillate; branchlets terete, weakly zig¬ 
zag, glandular papillae and sessile glandular, 
reddish scales present, very small leaves 
common near base of branchlets, young growth 
pink. Leaves distichous, sessile to subsessile; 
petiole absent or minute, if present often 
papillate; lamina chartaceous to coriaceous, 
oblong-lanceolate to obsubulate, (0.6-)3-10.5 
cm long, (0.3—)1—1.9 cm wide, often somewhat 
assymmetrical, adaxial surface dull green, 
glabrous abaxial surface paler with scattered, 
reddish glandular scales; apex acuminate to 
obtuse, base cordate and clasping the stem, 
margins entire or occasionally some minute 
teeth present, often reddish when fresh; 
midrib deeply depressed on adaxial surface, 
prominently raised on abaxial surface, 
reddish, glandular papillae sometimes present 
particularly towards the base; lateral veins 
inconspicuous looping towards the margin 
but not forming a continuous marginal vein, 
number varies with length of leaf, usually 
from between 16 to 30 on either side of the 
midrib; glands irregularly globular, reddish, 
randomly distributed, may be visible as 
bumps on the adaxial surface. Inflorescence 
an axillary raceme c. 1.5 cm long, flowers 
4- 8, peduncle 0.8-2 mm long, reddish; 
pedicels often appear to arise from almost the 
same point, pedicels filiform, 4-8 mm long, 
reddish, glandular papillae may be present; 
subtending bracts chartaceous, oblong, soon 
caducous 1-2 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide at 
base, glands not observed. Flowers c. 3 mm 
long. Calyx green; tube 0.5-0.75 mm long, 
lobes triangular, c. 1.5 mm long, 0.2-0.5 mm 
wide at base, glands few, irregularly globular, 
red. Corolla green to white; corolla-tube c. 
0.2 mm long; lobes widely spreading after 
anthesis, c. 3 mm long and 2 mm wide at base, 
margins inflexed towards the apex, uniseriate 
pale-coloured hairs present at junction of 
tube and lobes; glands shortly lineate light 
to dark red in median area only. Stamens 
antepetalous, base of filaments fused to form 
a very short rim, free portion subsessile, 
flattened, 0.1-0.3 mm long; anthers cordate 
at base, tapering into a short point, 1.75-2 
mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide at base, connective 
reddish, no glands observed. Ovary 0.75-1 
mm diameter, tapering into the style, glands 
red; style 2-3 mm long twisted, stigma glands 
if present red. Ovules uniseriate, 2-4. Fruit 
5- 6 x 6 mm, bright red at maturity, endocarp 
ribbed; glands globular to lineate dark red. 
Seed globular, c. 5 mm diameter, testa brown. 
miniature spearflower. Fig 8. 
Additional selected specimens (from c. 42 examined): 
Queensland. Cook District: S.F.R. 310, upper 
Goldsborough L. A., 17 km SE of Mulgrave township. Site 
34, Nov 1988, Jessup GJM1831 et al. (BRI); S.F.R. 310, 
Nov 1992, Irvine 2352 (CNS); The Boulders, Babinda, 
Jun 1999, Gray 7574 (CNS); The Boulders, Babinda, 
Jun 1997, Jago 651 (CNS); Start of Bartle Frere walking 
track, Dec 2001, Booth 2789 & Jensen (A, BRI, MEL); 
T.R. 1230, Wonaroo Creek catchment, upper Russell 
River, 1972, Tracey 15497 (BRI, DNA, LAE, PNH); 
Westcott Road, Topaz, Jan 1996, Cooper 960 & Cooper 
(CNS); Wooroonooran N.R, Tableland section near zig¬ 
zag, Oct 2000 , Forster PIF26309etal. (BRI); S.F.R. 755, 
