''Pseuduvaria pulchella'' is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to New Guinea. Ludwig Diels, the botanist who first formally described the species using the

basionym In the scientific name of organisms, basionym or basyonym means the original name on which a new name is based; the author citation of the new name should include the authors of the basionym in parentheses. The term "basionym" is used in both botan ...

''Orophea pulchella'', chose a specific epithet that means “beautiful little” () in Latin, but he did not specify to which aspect of the plant he was referring.

Description

It is a small tree reaching 0.3-1 meter in height. The young, brown branches are densely hairy but become hairless as they mature. Its egg-shaped to elliptical, papery leaves are 14-21 by 3-6 centimeters. The leaves have pointed bases and tapering tips, with the tapering portion 17-23 millimeters long. The leaves are hairless on their upper and lower surfaces. The leaves have 12-14 pairs of secondary veins emanating from their midribs. Its very densely hairy petioles are 3-4 by 1-2 millimeters with a broad groove on their upper side. Its Inflorescences are solitary or in pairs on branches, and are organized on densely hairy peduncles that are 3-7 by 0.3 millimeters. Each inflorescence has 1-2 flowers. 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 ...

that is 3-5 by 0.2-0.5 millimeters. The pedicels are organized on a rachis up to 5 millimeters long that have 4-6

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s. The pedicels have a medial, very densely hairy

that is 0.5 millimeters long. Its flowers are male or hermaphroditic. Its flowers have 3 free, triangular

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 ...

, that are 0.5 by 0.7 millimeters. The sepals are hairless on their upper surface, densely hairy on their lower surface, and hairy at their margins. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3. The purple, oval to elliptical, outer petals are 2-3.5 by 2-2.5 millimeters with slightly hairy upper surfaces and densely hairy lower surfaces. The purple, oval, inner petals have a 1-1.5 millimeter long claw at their base and a 3-3.5 by 1.5-2 millimeter blade. The inner petals have flat bases and pointed tips. The inner petals are hairless on their upper surface, except toward their tip where they are hairy, and densely hairy on their lower surfaces. Male flowers have up to 16

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 0.5 by 0.5 millimeters. Hermaphroditic flowers have 1

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'' ...

that is 1.5 by 1.4 millimeters and up to 11 stamens that are 0.4-0.5 by 0.4-0.5 millimeters.

Reproductive biology

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

Habitat and distribution

It has been observed growing at elevations of 1000 meters.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15366033

pulchella ''Pulchella'' is a diatom genus in the family Naviculaceae. Species the genus contains seven described species. *''Pulchella baicalensis'' *''Pulchella kriegeriana'' *''Pulchella minutissima'' *''Pulchella obsita'' *''Pulchella schwabei'' *'' ...

Flora of New Guinea Plants described in 1912 Taxa named by Ludwig Diels Taxa named by James Sinclair (botanist)