Uvaria rufa (Dunal) Blume

Uvaria species are scandent or sarmentose shrubs, normally stellately pubescent. Stolons slender and long. Leaves simple, alternate, glabrous or pubescent. Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, axillary, axillary, terminal or leaf-opposed, solitary or cymose fascicled, brown, purple or yellow, pedicellate or subsessile. Sepals 3, valvate, often connate below. Petals 6 in 2 series, oval, orbicular or oblong, imbricate, sometimes connate at the base, torus depressed, pubescent. Stamens numerous, outer rows sometimes sterile, ovoid, anthers dorsal, connectives usually trapezoidal or rhomboidal on top. Carpels many, style short, thick, ovules many, 2 seriate rarely 1 seriate. Ripe carpels many, often edible, globose, berries or dry, seeds few to many.

Uvaria species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Rarely unisexual, i.e., have male (staminate) flowers on one plant, and female (pistillate) flowers on another plant. Flowering/Fruiting: May-September.

Seeds may be dispersed by zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Scandent climbing shrubs, about 5-6 m long. Bark dark grayish brown, branchlets densely rusty stellate tomentose when young, dark and glabrous when mature. Leaves simple, alternate, lanceolate-elliptic to oblong, 6-13 x 2.5-5 cm across, base obtuse or slightly cordate, margin entire, apex acute, membranous, coriaceous, dark green, shining glabrous above, paler glaucous, except pubescent on the midrib beneath, lateral veins 8-12 on either side of the midrib, impressed above, prominent on the midrib and lateral veins beneath, reticulate veinlets fine and close, petiole stout, tomentose, about 0.4-0.8 cm long. Inflorescence cymose consisting of 1-4 flowers, axillary or extra axillary. Flowers bisexual, dark red or maroon, rusty tomentose, about 1.5 cm in diameter, pedicels slender, tomentose, about 0.6-1 cm long, bracts submedian. Sepals 3, broadly ovate or suborbicular, base connate, apex obtuse, pubescent outside. Petals 6, in 2 series, outer petals, larger than the inner petals, broadly oblong, apex obtuse or rounded, reddish orange or dull reddish purple, minutely pubescent on both sides, about 8-10 x 4-5 mm long. Stamens numerous, about 3-4 mm long, anthers broad, dorsal, connectives flat on the top. Ripe carpels many, subglobose or ellipsoid monocarps, sparsely pubescent, fleshly red, stalk stout, about 2-3 mm long, Seeds many in 2 rows, reddish brown, shining, smooth.

Susceptible to insect pests.

Evergreen to deciduous forests, altitude up to 1500 m.

Fruits are edible. Used as medicine for skin allergies. Essential oils, alkaloids are extracted, wood used as substitute for rattans.