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Notes:
The identity of this species is not entirely clear. with respect to some other Psychotria species named by Bremekamp. Psychotria elliotii is characterized by small, shortly bidentate stipules; well developed, petiolate, quite narrow, leathery leaves with the secondary veins not visible and without domatia; rather short corymbiform inflorescences with the axes whorled; small subsessile flowers with a short calyx limb and the corolla unknown; and small ellipsoid to ovoid white fruits. The type specimen of Psychotria elliotii is very similar in particular to Psychotria assimilis, and Bremekamp distinguished these mainly by inflorescence size with 100+ flowers in the inflorescences of Psychotria elliotii vs. 20-40 in Psychotria assimilis. Here these two species are distinguished arbitrarily by range and habitat, with plants from littoral or at least lowland forest in southeastern Madagascar included in Psychotria elliotii and plants from higher-elevation humid forest in east-central Madagascar included in Psychotria assimilis. The plants here included in Psychotria elliotii are mostly (or perhaps all) collected on lateritic substrates, and the majority were collected below 50 m elevation. See also the comments under Psychotria assimilis about the identity of that species, which is problematic.
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