''Pseuduvaria cerina'' is a species of tree in the Annonaceae family. It is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. James Sinclair, the Scottish botanist who first formally described the species, named it after its waxy yellow (''cerinus'' in Latin) inner petals.

Description

''P. cerina'' can reach 5 meters in height. Its branches have faint

lenticels A lenticel is a porous tissue consisting of cells with large intercellular spaces in the periderm of the secondarily thickened organs and the bark of woody stems and roots of dicotyledonous flowering plants. It functions as a pore, providing a ...

. Its mildly leathery leaves are 10.5-15.5 by 3.5-6 centimeters and come to a point at their tips. The leaves are hairless on their upper and lower surfaces and except for the lower surface of the midrib which is sparsely hairy. The leaves have 6-8 pairs of secondary veins emanating from their midribs. Its hairless petioles are 6-10 millimeters long with a groove on their upper side. Inflorescences are organized on indistinct peduncles. Each inflorescence has a single flower. Each flower is on a densely hairy

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

11-26 millimeters in length. The flowers are unisexual. Its flowers have 3 oval

sepals A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

, 1-1.5 by 1-1.5 millimeters. The sepals are smooth on their upper surface, hairy on their lower surface, and have fine hairs on their margins. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3. The oval outer petals are 1.5-2 by 1-2 millimeters with smooth upper surfaces and densely hairy lower surfaces. The outer petals are green. The inner petals have a 1-2 millimeter long claw at their base and a 3-4.5 by 2-3 millimeter blade. The waxy yellow colored inner petals are smooth on their upper and lower surfaces. Each inner petal has an ovoid gland at the base of its outer surface. Male flowers have up to 39

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s that are 0.6-0.7 millimeters long. Female flowers have up to 7

carpels Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

per flower and 3 ovules per carpel.

Reproductive biology

The pollen of ''P. cerina'' is shed as permanent tetrads.

References

cerina Endemic flora of Peninsular Malaysia Trees of Peninsular Malaysia Vulnerable plants Plants described in 1955 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by James Sinclair (botanist) {{Annonaceae-stub