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Deeringothamnus rugelii var. pulchellus
Pretty False Pawpaw
White Squirrel-banana
Royal False Pawpaw
Synonym(s): Asimina pulchella, Deeringothamnus pulchellus
Florida native
Endemic to Florida
Endangered Florida species
U.S. Endangered species
Beautiful pawpaw, as this plant is also known, is found only in Florida, primarily in flatwoods and disturbed sites in Lee and Charlotte Counties. There are also a few populations in Orange County, typically open sites that have been burned or mechanically cleared, such as powerline right-of-ways.
A small woody shrub only growing up to 30cm (about 1 foot) tall. Single flowers appear in the leaf axils, usually in April and May. The flowers are made up of two series of similar white or pale pink linear recurved petals. Both the foliage and flowers are fragrant.
Botanists disagree on if white squirrel-banana - Deeringothamnus rugelii var. pulchellus - is a subspecies of Derringothamnus rugelii - or if it is a separate species.
Deeringothamnus rugelii is a member of the Annonaceae - Custard-apple family.
Other species of the Deeringothamnus genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Deeringothamnus rugelii - RUGEL'S FALSE PAWPAW
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Apr 04, 2020
