Uvaria is a genus of approximately 171 flowering plant species in the family Annonaceae (order Magnoliales), distributed across the Old World tropics. Members of the genus are lianas or climbing shrubs — woody plants lacking hooks or spines — that are readily identified by the stellate (star-shaped) hairs covering almost all parts of the plant. Flowers are bisexual, with sepals joined edge to edge (valvate) and petals that overlap (imbricate) and are arranged in two whorls; pollen grains are solitary and the fruit is apocarpous.
The genus ranges from tropical and southern Africa (including Madagascar) through the Indian subcontinent, mainland Southeast Asia, southern China, Malesia, and New Guinea, with several species extending into northern and eastern Australia.
Uvaria was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, with Uvaria zeylanica as the type species. Early circumscriptions of the genus proved problematic: by 2009 it was recognised as paraphyletic, and a molecular study by Zhou et al. that year transferred 15 species from the closely related genera Anomianthus, Cyathostemma, Ellipeia, Ellipeiopsis, and Rauwenhoffia into Uvaria, bringing the genus to its current limits. Plants of the World Online recognised 171 accepted species as of April 2025.
Notable members include Uvaria chamae (Finger-root), a West African shrub used in traditional medicine, and Uvaria grandiflora, known for its large showy flowers across Indochina and Malesia.
Etymology
The name Uvaria comes from the Latin uva, meaning 'grape', an allusion to the grape-like appearance of the fruit produced by several species in the genus.
Distribution
Uvaria species occur throughout the Old World tropics: tropical and southern Africa (including Madagascar), the Indian subcontinent, mainland Southeast Asia, southern China, Malesia, New Guinea, and the northern and eastern states of Australia (Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales).
Taxonomy Notes
Uvaria was erected by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, originally encompassing just two species — U. zeylanica (the type) and U. japonica (now placed in Kadsura). By the early 21st century the genus had grown to roughly 150–190 species but was found to be paraphyletic. A 2009 molecular phylogenetic study by Zhou et al. resolved this by sinking Anomianthus, Cyathostemma, Ellipeia, Ellipeiopsis, and Rauwenhoffia (15 species total) into Uvaria. As of April 2025, Plants of the World Online accepts 171 species.
