Annonaceae

Popowia Endl.

First published in Gen. Pl. Secund. Ord. Nat.: 831 (1839)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical & Subtropical Asia.

Descriptions

Annonaceae, N. K. B. Robson. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs or small trees, often climbing or scrambling, with simple (very rarely also forked or stellate) hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves rarely bearing 2 small basal glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flower-buds broadly ovoid or depressed-globose. Flowers bisexual or more rarely unisexual, solitary or in 2- to many-flowered cymes, extra-axillary or occasionally axillary, sometimes on leafless branches, pedicellate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracteole 1, persistent, on the lower half of the pedicel, sometimes foliaceous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 3, valvate, free or ± united, much shorter than the petals in bud, usually pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 6, in two ± unequal whorls, both valvate or rarely the inner imbricate, thick, free, the outer ± spreading at anthesis, the inner smaller, concave, often somewhat connivent and erect, usually shortly clawed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8 to few (6–8), cuneate-quadrate (rarely linear) or flattened and staminodial, with thecae extrorse, ± parallel, and connective broadened, with or without an obliquely capitate prolongation; filaments usually present, sometimes longer than the anthers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels rather numerous to few (6), free; ovary clyindric or ellipsoid to obconic, with 1–4 (5) uniseriate ovules; style as long as the ovary or shorter, cylindric or obconic, oblique; stigma sub-capitate or tapering, often bifurcating.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Ripe carpels indehiscent, succulent, cylindric-torulose, stipitate, 1–4-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds vertical, serial; aril absent.
[FZ]

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

Distribution
A paleotropical genus of c. 50 species found in Africa, through Asia and Malesia to the Pacific; nine species in New Guinea.
Morphology General Habit
Shrubs or small trees to 12 m
Morphology General Indumentum
Indumentum of simple hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blade granular or subgranular in texture, glabrous, pubescent, or tomentose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences leaf-opposed or extra-axillary and 1-flowered or fasciculate and several flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, bisexual; sepals 3, slightly smaller than petals, valvate; petals 6, in 2 whorls, thick, sometimes outer and inner petals united at base forming a sympetalous corolla; outer petals small, valvate, spreading; inner petals larger than outer, sometimes connivent and erect, inside concave, base shortly clawed, margin adhering but later free, apically often incurved and valvate but occasionally imbricate; stamens many, anther locules cuneate, extrorse, connectives apically broadly flat-topped to slightly concave; carpels few to many, ovules 2 or 4 per carpel, styles very short, stigmas subcapitate to cuneate, grooved on top and down inner side
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit apocarpous; monocarps subsessile to stipitate, globose [or ovoid]
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed often 1 per monocarp, rugose or pitted and with a circumferential ridge.
Ecology
The genus has been found in primary lowland and montane forests from sea level to 800(–1400) m.
Recognition
Popowia can be recognised by the usually small flowers on short, erect pedicels borne on extra-axillary inflorescences, with petals being two different sizes with the outer petals very small and appearing similar to the sepals, and the carpels which can have up to 4 ovules. Xue et al. (2012) list several vegetative characters to distinguish Popowia from related genera including the eucamptodromus secondary leaf venation, the secondary veins inserted not decurrently on the midrib, percurrent tertiary veins, and slightly asymmetrical leaf base.
[TONG]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0