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Notes
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This species is characterized by its rather robust habit and reddish brown drying color; its elliptic to obovate leaves with rather numerous secondary veins and small crypt-type domatia; its well developed stipules that are ovate and lobed for 1/3 to 1/2 their length; its shortly pedunculate, multiflowered, corymbiform inflorescences with the axes sparsely puberulous to densely pilosulous and the flowers mostly sessile in subglobose groups; its small flowers with the calyx limb 1.3-1.5 mm long and dentate and a yellow corolla; and its small red ellipsoid fruits with the pyrenes generally smooth abaxially. Recent collections document variation with much larger leaves, stipules, and inflorescences and more variation in pubescence than Bremekamp saw. The limited ecological data on the specimens seen report this species from "semi-caducifolious" forest and riparian forest; it has been collected somewhat frequently on the Ampasindava Peninsula. Bremekamp reported this species from a rather broad range, from northwestern Madagascar through Farafaranga; the material corresponding to this species from outside Antsiranana has not been seen for this current study, and the material from the southeastern region may eventually need re-evaluation. In general Psychotria berizokae can be overlooked when the distinctive stipules are not seen; unfortunately these are quickly caducous, but usually can be found on the apical nodes and because of their size can be recognized even in early bud. More than one species may be included here in Psychotria berizokae, and this may need reevaluation when more material is available.
Psychotria berizokae is similar to Psychotria bridsoniae, but Psychotria bridsoniae differs in its stipules that are obtuse to acute and leaves with the higher-order venation clearly evident abaxially and closely reticulated. Psychotria berizokae is also similar to Psychotria ancarensis, as noted by Bremekamp, but Psychotria ancarensis differs in its generally larger calyx limbs, shorter stipules, and distinctive reddish gray drying color. Based on its general aspect and well developed stipules, Psychotria berizokae has also sometimes been confused with Gaertnera, but Gaertnera can be separated by its superior ovaries, petioles encircled by wings or ridges at the base, and lack of leaf domatia.
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