Pseuduvaria froggattii
Pseuduvaria froggattii is a rare species of tropical rainforest tree in the family Annonaceae.[4] It is endemic north-eastern Queensland, Australia.[3]
Pseuduvaria froggattii | |
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Tree with fruits in Cairns Botanic Gardens | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Magnoliids |
Order: | Magnoliales |
Family: | Annonaceae |
Genus: | Pseuduvaria |
Species: | P. froggattii |
Binomial name | |
Pseuduvaria froggattii | |
Synonyms[2][3] | |
Mitrephora froggattii F.Muell. |
Description
Pseuduvaria froggattii is a small rainforest tree reaching 15 m (49 ft) in height. It has elliptic to lanceolate, membranous to papery leaves 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in) long by 4–11 cm (1.6–4.3 in) wide. They are obtuse to rounded at the base and acuminate (tapering) at the tip, with the tapering portion 10–26 mm (0.4–1.0 in) long. They are glabrous (hairless) on their upper and lower surfaces and have 8-16 pairs of secondary veins emanating from the rachis, or midrib. The hairless petiole is 3–12 mm (0.1–0.5 in) by 1.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) with a narrow groove on the upper side.[2][5]
Inflorescences occur in clusters of 5-30 and are organized on indistinct peduncles. Each inflorescence has a solitary flower, each of which is on a densely hairy pedicel that is 7–22 mm (0.3–0.9 in) by 0.2–1 mm (0.01–0.04 in). The pedicels are organized on a rachis up to 5 mm (0.20 in) long that has 6-8 bracts, and have a medial, hairless to slightly hairy bract that is 0.5–1.5 mm (0.02–0.06 in) long. The flowers are unisexual and have 3 triangular sepals, that are 2–3 mm (0.08–0.12 in) by 2–3.5 mm (0.08–0.14 in). The sepals are hairless on their upper surface, and densely hairy on their lower surface and margins. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3.
The white, oval to elliptical, outer petals are 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) by 4.5–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) with hairless upper surfaces and sparsely hairy lower surfaces. The inner petals are white to pink with red highlights near their edges. The diamond-shaped, inner petals have a 3.5–7 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long claw at their base and a 5–14 mm (0.2–0.6 in) by 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) blade. The inner petals have pointed tips and bases. The upper surfaces of the inner petals are hairless except near their tips. The lower surfaces of the inner petals are sparsely hairy. The inner petals have a pair of prominent, dark purple, smooth, elliptical glands on their upper surface. Male flowers have up to 63-90 stamens that are 1–1.3 mm (0.04–0.05 in) by 0.7–1.3 mm (0.03–0.05 in). Female flowers have up to 25 carpels that are 1.3–1.8 mm (0.05–0.07 in) by 0.4–0.5 mm (0.02–0.02 in). Each carpel has 2 ovules. Female flowers also have up to 7 sterile stamen.
The fruit occur in clusters of 8-15 on hairless to slightly hairy pedicles that are 19–25 mm (0.7–1.0 in) by 1.8–2.5 mm (0.07–0.10 in) millimeters. Mature fruit are orange, elliptical, smooth and densely hairy and 11–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) by 9–11 mm (0.4–0.4 in) with a tapering tip about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long. They contain 2 spherical seeds that are 6.5–7.5 mm (0.3–0.3 in) by 6.5–7 mm (0.3–0.3 in) by 4–6 mm (0.2–0.2 in) and are very wrinkly.[6]
Reproductive biology
![](../I/Pseuduvaria_froggattii_trunk_and_foliage_SF21001.jpg.webp)
The pollen of P. froggattii is shed as permanent tetrads.[7] Its flowers are pollinated by flies, including Drosophilidae and dung flies.[8][9]
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described in 1887 by the German botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in the Australasian Journal of Pharmacy who gave it the name Mitrephora froggattii. In 1986 the Australian botanist L.W. Jessup published a new combination for it in Austrobaileya, i.e. Pseuduvaria froggattii.[10][11]
Etymology
The genus name Pseuduvaria is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek ψευδής, (pseudes), meaning "false", and the name of the related genus Uvaria. The species epithet froggattii was given by Mueller to honour Walter Wilson Froggatt who helped collect the specimen he examined.[12]
Distribution and habitat
![](../I/Pseuduvaria_froggattii_trunk_SF21001.jpg.webp)
This species is restricted to a small part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area, from Melissa Creek near Cape Tribulation in the north, to the Mowbray River near Port Douglas in the south.[2][5] It has been observed growing in a variety of soil types including loose mixtures, moist substrates, loams and rocky soils in mature rainforests at elevations of 5-60 meters.[6]
Ecology
Pseuduvaria froggattii is the host species for the larvae of the green-spotted triangle and pale green triangle butterflies.[2] The fruits are eaten by cassowaries.[12]
Uses
Oils extracted from its leaves contain high levels of caryophyllene and spathulenol.[13]
References
- "Species profile—Pseuduvaria froggattii". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Pseuduvaria froggattii". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- "Pseuduvaria froggattii (F.Muell.) Jessup". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- "Pseuduvaria froggattii (F. Muell.) Jessup". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- Jessup, L.W. (2021). "Pseuduvaria froggattii". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- Su, Yvonne C.F.; Saunders, Richard M.K. (2006). Monograph of Pseuduvaria (Annonaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs. Vol. 79. American Society of Plant Taxonomists. pp. 1–204. JSTOR 25027955.
- Su, Yvonne C. F.; Saunders, Richard M. K. (2003). "Pollen structure, tetrad cohesion and pollen-connecting threads in Pseuduvaria (Annonaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 143 (1): 69–78. doi:10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.00204.x. ISSN 1095-8339.
- Silberbauer-Gottsberger, Ilse; Gottsberger, Gerhard; Webber, Antonio C. (2003). "Morphological and functional flower characteristics of New and Old World Annonaceae with respect to their mode of pollination". Taxon. 52 (4): 701–718. doi:10.2307/4135543. ISSN 0040-0262. JSTOR 4135543.
- Gottsberger, Gerhard (2012). "How diverse are Annonaceae with regard to pollination?". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 169 (1): 245–261. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2011.01209.x. ISSN 0024-4074.
- Müller, F.J.H. von (1887). "Descriptions of new Australian plants". Australasian Journal of Pharmacy. 2 (3).
- Jessup, L.W. (1986). "New Combinations in Australian Annonaceae". Austrobaileya. 2 (3): 227. JSTOR 41738674.
- Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 27. ISBN 9780958174213. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- Brophy, Joseph J.; Goldsack, Robert J.; Hook, James M.; Fookes, Christopher J.R.; Forster, Paul I. (2004). "The Leaf Essential Oils of the Australian Species of Pseuduvaria (Annonaceae)". Journal of Essential Oil Research. 16 (4): 362–366. doi:10.1080/10412905.2004.9698743. ISSN 1041-2905. S2CID 95394730.
External links
Data related to Pseuduvaria froggattii at Wikispecies
Media related to Pseuduvaria froggattii at Wikimedia Commons
- View a map of recorded sightings of Pseuduvaria froggattii at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
- See images of Pseuduvaria froggattii on Flickriver