Charpentiera ovata var. ovata is a slender or shrubby tree species that can grow up to 6 meters tall, with new growth characterized by pale brown tomentose. The stems are 0.5 to 5 mm in diameter near the apex, with up to 14 mm long internodes. The leaves are simple and alternate, with blades that are ovate to nearly elliptic or suborbicular, measuring 5 to 27 cm in length and 3 to 13 cm in width. The apex of the leaves is acute to obtuse and occasionally acuminate, while the base is usually rounded. The surfaces of the leaves can be either glabrous or pubescent, and they are somewhat coriaceous. The margins are entire, usually without developed marginal ribs, and the plant has 10 to 20 pairs of lateral veins. The petioles range from 1 to 17 cm long, and stipules are absent. The flowers appear in single axillary panicles, which are 1 to 2-branched, reddish brown, pubescent, or glabrous. The panicles measure 12 to 50 cm long and are simple or compound, with 5 to 20 primary branches. A bract subtends each branch of the panicle. The species is gynodioecious (having some individuals bearing female flowers only and others bearing hermaphrodite flowers only), with populations consisting of both bisexual (perfect)–flowered plants and female plants. The flowers are several to numerous per branch, with internodes measuring 1 to 5 mm long between individual flowers. The calyx comprises five distinct, imbricate, subequal sepals that are 1.5 to 2.25 mm long and discernibly 3 to 7-veined. The corolla (petals) is absent. The plant has five stamens and staminodes with filaments forming a short, membranous tube, and the anthers are exserted at anthesis. The superior ovary is globose or urceolate, 1.5 to 2 mm long, with an absent or concise style and two straight or recurved stigmas nearly as long as the ovary, with glands on the inner surface. The fruit is an indehiscent utricle, and the seeds are black and shiny, lenticular, and approximately 1.5 mm long at maturity. It is found in wet and mesic forests at elevations ranging from 180-1,160 meters.
Bean-shaped (Reniform): Resembling the shape of a kidney or bean.
Square or Oblong: Angular shape with all sides more or less equal or longer than wide.
Triangular: Three-sided shape, broadest below the middle.
Elliptic: Rounded at both ends. shaped like an ellipse or oval.
Ovate or Obovate: egg-shaped, broader at one end.
Linear: Extremely long and narrow, with sides usually parallel.
Round: Appears circular, with length and width roughly the same.
Cardioid (Heart-Shaped): One edge has a prominent double curve into two lobes.
Cylindrical: A cylinder with parallel sides and a circular cross-section.
Discoid: Resembling a disc or plate with two relatively flat surfaces.
Fusiform: Spindle-shaped, tapering at both ends.
Globose: Spherical.
Lenticular: Resembling a lens with two convex surfaces.
Ovoid: Egg-shaped.
Plano-convex: Having a flat ventral (planar) surface and a curved dorsal (convex) surface.
Polygonal: Having more than three flat faces meeting at angles.
Sectoroid: Resembling a segment of an orange with two relatively flat faces and one curved face.
Subglobose/ellipsoid: Inflated shape but less than spherical.
Trigonous: Having three faces that meet at a distinct angle; triangular in cross-section.
Endangered species (E) are species that are so rare they’re in danger of becoming extinct.
Threatened species (T) are species that are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their range.
Species of Concern (SOC) are species about which there are some concerns regarding status and threats, but insufficient information is available to list the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Plant Extinction Prevention (PEP) is a state status for rare plants that focuses its efforts on species that have fewer than 50 remaining wild individuals.
Orthodox seeds (desiccation-tolerant): can be dried to an internal seed moisture of less than 12% water and stored at freezing temperatures.
Intermediate seeds (temperature-sensitive) tend to age faster than orthodox seeds and may have only a 5-year lifespan when stored at -20°C. They are recommended for storage at 5°C.
Recalcitrant seeds (desiccation-sensitive): cannot be stored in a conventional freezer as they cannot survive after drying and/or freezing at -20°C. They are recommended for cryopreservation storage.