Pseudoxandra polyphleba

Pseudoxandra polyphleba is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, and Peru.^[3] Ludwig Diels, the German botanist who first formally described the species using the basionym Unonopsis polyphleba, named it after the distinctive veins (Latinized form of Greek φλέβα, phléba)^[4] in its leaves.^[5]

Pseudoxandra polyphleba
Photograph of Pseudoxandra polyphleba with fruit.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Annonaceae
Genus:	Pseudoxandra
Species:	P. polyphleba
Binomial name
Pseudoxandra polyphleba (Diels) R.E.Fr.
Synonyms
Cremastosperma polyphlebum (Diels) R.E.Fr. Unonopsis polyphleba Diels

Description

It is a tree reaching 4 to 15 meters in height. Its dull papery leaves are 10–19 by 3–6 centimeters and come to a point at their tips. The leaves are hairless on their upper and lower surfaces, but can have small warty bumps. The leaves have 10–15 distinct, straight secondary veins emanating from the primary vein. Its petioles are 2–7 millimeters long. Its flowers are solitary or in pairs and axillary. Each flower is on a pedicel 2-5 millimeters long. Its flowers have 3 oval-shaped sepals that are 1–2 by 2–3 millimeters. The outer surface of the sepals is hairless or slightly hairy. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3. The outer petals are white to yellow and 4–10 by 3–5 millimeters. The outer petals are hairless on their outer surface. The inner petals are similarly colored and 3–8 by 3–5 millimeters. The inner petals are smooth on their outer surface. It has numerous stamens that are 1.5–1.7 millimeters long. Each flower has 2–20 monocarps that are yellow, red, or near black at maturity and 10–15 millimeters wide. Its brown seeds are 8–13 by 7–12 millimeters.^[6]

Reproductive biology

The pollen of P. polyphleba is shed as permanent tetrads.^[7]