Mitrephora (Blume) Hook.f. & Thomson

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

Distribution

A genus of 47 species throughout South-East Asia with a single species in New Guinea. Mitrephora diversifolia (Span.) Miq.; note, M. polypyrena(Blume) Zoll., a species found throughout the Lesser Sunda Islands, has been recorded from the Aru Islands. Revised by Weerasooriya & Saunders (2010). Found in rain forests from sea level to 550 m elevation.

Morphology General Habit

Trees to 20 m tall (in New Guinea). Indumentum of simple hairs

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petiole short; leaf blade venation arcuately looped near margin

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers terminal, leaf opposed, or extra-axillary, solitary or in cymes; sympodial rachides simple or branched, internodes short or long; pedicel short or long, with basal bracts and submedian bracteoles Flowers bisexual, pendent; sepals 3, valvate, basally ±connate; petals 6 in 2 whorls, free, with each whorl valvate, outer petals relatively large but usually smaller than inner petals, not clawed, inner petals clawed, apically connivent to form a mitriform dome; stamens many, usually 100+, connectives apically truncate; carpels few to many, ovules several per carpel

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit apocarpous; monocarps sessile or more typically stipitate, globose, obovoid, or cylindric, sometimes longitudinally ridged, smooth or rarely warty.

Recognition

The characteristic mitriform inner petals are found in other genera, and Pseuduvaria and Orophea are especially similar. Mitrephora is distinguished by the extra-axillary inflorescence, bisexual flowers, spreading outer petals, the inner petals clawed and connivent to form a mitreform dome over the reproductive organs, and the adaxial surface of the inner petals is usually woolly or pilose.