Pseuduvaria froggattii

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

Foliage. Cairns Botanic Gardens, January 2021

The pollen of P. froggattii is shed as permanent tetrads.[7] Its flowers are pollinated by flies, including Drosophilidae and dung flies.[8][9]

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]

Trunk. Cairns Botanic Gardens, January 2021

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]

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]

Oils extracted from its leaves contain high levels of caryophyllene and spathulenol.[13]

• 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