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Pseuduvaria (Annonaceae) comprises 52 species of trees and treelets that are found from Myanmar to northern Australia. It is most diverse in New Guinea, where 20 species occur. The genus is characterized by the inner petals, which are usually longer than the outer petals and apically connivent to form a mitriform dome over the androecium and gynoecium; three basal apertures enable entry of pollinators. The inner petals often bear one or more adaxial glands, consisting of specialized parenchyma and modified stomata.
The majority of species are dioecious (occasionally monoecious), although several species from New Guinea are either androdioecious (P. coriacea, P. costata, P. dolichonema, P. grandifolia, P. megalopus, P. pulchella) or entirely hermaphroditic (P. beccarii, P. brachyantha, P. nova-guineensis). Flowers are fly-pollinated. Several species show evidence of sapromyophily; their inner petals are dark purple or red with dark red glands, and the flowers often emit an unpleasant odor. The present monograph provides a broad synthesis of previously published information and includes discussions on morphology, ultrastructure and anatomy, cytology, ethnobotany, ecology, pollination ecology, dispersal, and phylogeny, which supplement the full descriptions and synonymies of the species treatments.
Conservation status assessments are provided for each species; current IUCN red list categories and criteria are listed. Separate keys for flowering and fruiting material are included, as well as regional keys. All species are mapped and many are illustrated. Eleven species are newly described (P. acerosa, P. borneensis, P. brachyantha, P. bruneiensis, P. clemensiae, P. coriacea, P. kingiana, P. mindorensis, P. obliqua, P. parvipetala, and P. subcordata), and five new combinations are proposed (P. cymosa, P. glabrescens, P. macrocarpa, P. sessilicarpa, and P. trimera).
