Pseudobotrys Moeser

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution

A genus of two species, both endemic to New Guinea: Pseudobotrys cauliflora (Pulle) Sleumer and P. dorae Moeser.

Morphology General Habit

Trees to 18 m

Morphology Leaves

Leaves spirally arranged, coriaceous, entire, penninerved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual, borne on short fascicles or panicles on swellings on the trunk (rarely axillary); pedicel articulated with the calyx, bracteolate at the base; sepals 5, purple, connate at base, imbricate, persistent; petals 5, white or purplish, linear, valvate, tips a little inflexed, connate into a tube in the lower part; stamens 5, almost equalling the petals in length; filaments filiform, dilated towards the base and attached to the petals; anthers linear, subsagittate, introrse, basifixed; ovary ovoid-subglobose; style filiform; stigma small, depressed-subcapitate. Fruit a drupe, blue when mature, exocarp thin, fleshy; endocarp woody, verrucose, forming a pseudo-septum along the funiculus inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 1, forming around the pseudo-septum.

Ecology

Pseudobotrys has been found in a variety of lowland habitats up to 1600 m.

Recognition

It can be recognised by the simple, alternate, exstipulate leaves, and especially the bisexual flowers borne on distinct swellings on the trunk (these can be quite large and seemingly spirally arranged around the trunk), with linear white or purple petals, and the drupaceous fruits which are blue when mature (sometimes with a metallic sheen). The inflorescence position is particularly distinct and allows differentiation from Gonocaryum which can have similar sized fruits, but very rarely has inflorescences from the trunk.