Mitrephora polypyrena is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and Myanmar.[2] Carl Ludwig Blume, the German botanist who first formally described the species using the basionym Uvaria polypyrena, named it after the many stones or seeds (Latinized forms of Greek πολυ-, poly-, and πυρην, pyren) in its fruit.[3][1]

Mitrephora polypyrena
Color illustration of Mitrephora polypyrena under basionym Uvaria polypyrene.[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Annonaceae
Genus:	Mitrephora
Species:	M. polypyrena
Binomial name
Mitrephora polypyrena (Blume) Zoll.
Synonyms
Kinginda macrantha (Hassk.) Kuntze Kinginda polypyrena Kuntze Mitrephora javanica Backer Mitrephora macrantha Hassk. Uvaria polypyrena Blume

Description

It is a tree reaching 20 meters in height. Its oval to lance-shaped, leathery leaves are 8-22.5 by 3.5-9 centimeters and come to a point at their tips. The leaves are smooth and shiny on their upper surfaces, while their undersides are slightly hairy. Its petioles are 4.5-11 by 1.5-3.5 millimeters. Its flowers are arranged in groups of 3 or fewer on a rachis. Each flower is on a fleshy, slightly hairy pedicel that is 1.1-1.6 by 20-40 millimeters. The pedicels have an oval, basal bract that is 4-4.5 by 2.5-4.5 millimeters, and another oval, upper bract that is 3.5-5.5 by 4.5-7 millimeters. Its flowers have 3, oval-shaped sepals that are 5-7.5 by 5.5-7.5 millimeters. The outside of the sepals are densely hairy, while their inner surfaces are smooth. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3. The yellow, oval-shaped outer petals are 24-36 by 18-28 millimeters and come to a point at their tip. The outside surface of the outer petals are densely hairy, while their inner surface is slightly hairy. The inner petals are white with reddish-purple highlights and 17-22 by 9.5-16 millimeters. The outside surface of the inner petals is densely hairy while the tip of the inner surface has long hairs. Its flowers have more than numerous stamen that are 1.5-1.7 by 0.5-0.6 millimeters. Its flowers have up to 24-26 free carpels that are 2-2.2 by 0.5-0.6 millimeters. The carpels have 12-14 ovules. Its fruit occur in clusters of up to 9-12 on pedicels that are 19-34 by 3-5 millimeters and covered in sparse, fine hairs. The round to oblong, smooth fruit are 19-31 by 8-17 millimeters. The fruit have a longitudinal ridge and are sparsely covered in fine brown hairs. The fruit are attached to the pedicel by stipes that are 12-21 by 2.5-4 millimeters and sparsely covered in fine brown hairs. Each fruit has 12-14 seeds that are 15-17 by 8-9.5 millimeters.[4][5]

Reproductive biology

The pollen of M. polypyrena is shed as permanent tetrads.[6]

Habitat and Distribution

It has been observed growing in wet evergreen forests, at elevations of 300 to 700 meters.[5]

Uses

It is used as timber and cultivated as a cover crop and ornamental species.[7]

References