Uvariodendron anisatum Verdc., Kew Bull. 10(4):596 (1956)

Figs 9, 10

Type.

Kenya - Nairobi • B. Verdcourt 526 (holotype: EA! (EA000002461); isotypes: K! (K000198890, K000198891), PRE); Nairobi District, in Karura Forest and Thika Gorge; 1°14'S, 36°49'E; 24 Jun. 1951 .

Description.

Shrub to tree 3.5-15 (22) m tall, D.B.H. up to 10 cm; young branches sparsely pubescent to glabrous, old branches glabrous; plant with aniseed smell. Leaves reddish pink when young, dark green when old. Petiole 3-9 mm long, 1.5-4 mm wide, sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Leaf lamina 80-313 mm long, 45-187 mm wide, length:width ratio 2.3-3.1, elliptic to obovate, coriaceous, base acute to decurrent, apex acute to attenuate, surface above glabrous, surface below sparsely pubescent to glabrate when young, glabrous when old; midrib impressed above, raised below, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent to glabrous below; secondary veins 12-21 pairs, weakly brochidodromous, impressed above, raised below; tertiary veins reticulate. Inflorescences clustered on the trunk or borne on branches, composed of 1-3 flowers. Flower pedicel 15-65 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent. Flowers bisexual, buds globose, pedicellate, 3.5-6 mm high, 4.5-6 mm in diameter, sericeous. Bracts 1 to 2 at base and 1 towards the upper half of the pedicel, upper bract 2-4.5 mm long, 3-8 mm wide, clasping the pedicel, velutinous outside, glabrous inside. Sepals 3, 3.5-6 mm long, 4-8 mm wide, valvate to fused at base over 10 % of their length, velutinous outside, glabrous inside, color unknown. Outer petals 3, 10-23 mm long, 9-16 mm wide, length:width ratio 1-1.6, broadly ovate to ovate, velutinous outside, glabrous inside, cream outside, cream inside. Inner petals 3, 12.5-15 mm long, 5-9 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.5-2, obovate, shortly velutinous outside, glabrous inside, cream outside, cream inside. Stamens 400 to 500, 1.5-2.5 mm long, 0.1-0.5 mm wide, anthers linear, connective prolongation truncate. Carpels 7 to 12, 2-5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, pubescent, free; stigma 1-2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, coiled, pubescent. Fruiting pedicel 21-59 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Monocarps 3 to 14, 38-70 mm long, 13-20 mm wide, length:width ratio 2.3-3.5, cylindrical, longitudinally ridged, slightly constricted between the seeds, slightly acuminate, sparsely pubescent, dark olive green to dark-blue black; sessile to shortly stipitate, stipe 0-2 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide, sparsely pubescent. Seeds 8-18 per monocarp, biseriate, 10 to 12 mm long, 5-8 mm wide, ellipsoid to semicircular.

Distribution.

Endemic to Somalia-Masai Region: Kenya and Tanzania.

Habitat and ecology.

Submontane rain forests (sometimes dry forests), often along streams. Altitude: 300-1080 m a.s.l.

Phenology.

Flowers collected in January, March, from June to July and from November to December. Fruits collected in January, March, from May to July and from November to December.

Vernacular names.

Kenya: ‘Mutongu’ in Meru (Parnell 13340).

Notes.

This species is characterized by a strong aniseed smell (lightly to not noticeable on herbarium specimens), a character unique in the Annonaceae family to my knowledge. Apart from the smell, it closely resembles Uvariodendron kirkii and can hardly be differentiated on dry sterile material. In flowers, it can be differentiated from Ud. kirkii by its flower pedicel generally longer (15-65 mm, vs. 5-28 mm), its relatively flat petals with a slight transversal curvature (vs. “boat-shaped” petals, i.e. with a strong transversal curvature). Note that the petals curvature is not easy to rely on dry specimen. In fruits, it can be differentiated with a greater fruit pedicel than Ud. kirkii (21-59 mm long, vs. 7-22 mm long). Verdcourt also used the monocarps to differentiate the 2 species, the monocarps of Ud. anisatum being dark blue and with a slight longitudinal ridge, and the monocarps of Ud. kirkii being dull-orange and without any pseudosuture (Verdcourt 1969). However, these 2 characters are no longer valid for a clear differentiation of the 2 species as the specimen Robertson MDE 293, which is Ud. kirkii (no aniseed smell reported, flower pedicel length of ca. 11 mm), has dark blue grey fruits, and several specimens of Ud. kirkii (e.g. Drummond 3983; Gilbert 4967; Greenway 2681) present a slight longitudinal ridge.

Conservation status.

This species has been assessed as Vulnerable VU under criteria B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) (Luke et al. 2018).

Additional specimens examined.

Kenya - Central • E. Battiscombe 1285 (EA, K); Kiambu District, Kiambu Forest; 1°10'S, 36°49'E; alt. 1700 m; 17 Jun. 1924 • J.L. Moon 811 (K); Kiambu District, Kyambu; 1°11'48.48"S, 36°51'32.76"E; alt. 1737 m; 29 Jul. 1913 - Eastern • H.J. Beentje 4089 (EA); Meru, Kijegge Hill; 0°17'N, 37°57'E; alt. 1400 m; 08 Mar. 1989 • I. Malombe 1368 (EA), Ngaia Forest, Kiegoi village, NE border; 0°14'N, 37°55'E; alt. 1170 m; 22 May. 2008 • L.E. Parnell EA13340 (K); Meru, Lower Imenti Foest Reserve; 0°07'14.88"N, 37°41'52.08"E; 24 Aug. 1965 • M.A. Brunt 1546 (K), Embu Meru road; 0°15'43.26"N, 37°38'23.43"E; 16 Feb. 1964 • R.B. Faden 70/120 (EA, K); Meru District, Lower Imenti Forest, 6 mils. from Meru along Meru - Mikinduri Road; 0°06'N, 37°45'E; alt. 1190 m; 01 Mar. 1970 • S.A.L. Smith 287 (K); Embu District, Kiangombe, northern slopes; 0°33'52.56"N, 37°42'27.72"E; alt. 1550 m; 30 Nov. 2000 • W.R.Q. Luke 7123 (EA); Meru, Ngaia Forest, camp 142; 0°19'N, 38°02'E; alt. 1080 m; 22 Nov. 2000 - K4 Central • H.J. Beentje 1830 (EA, WAG), Nairobi, E. Karura forest near Kiambu R; 1°14'30"S, 36°49'30"E; alt. 1600 m; 13 Jan. 1985 • R.B. Faden 74/886 (K, WAG), Meru District. Lower Imenti Forest, on Meru-Mikinduri Road; 0°04'N, 37°45'E; alt. 1190 m; 26 Jun. 1974 - Nairobi • B. Verdcourt 3689 (K); Nairobi District, Karura Forest, by Ruaraka R. to W. of main Thika highway; 1°14'S, 36°49'E; 21 Jul. 1963 • B. Verdcourt 406 (B, K, K); Nairobi District, Thika Road House; 1°15'59.57"S, 36°50'04.08"E; alt. 1676 m; 24 Dec. 1950 • B. Verdcourt 674 (K); Nairobi District, Karura Forest; 1°14'S, 36°49'E; 29 Jun. 1952 • E. Polhill 324 (K); Nairobi District, Karura Forest; 1°14'S, 36°49'E; 10 Jan. 1961 • V.G.L. van Someren 95 (G, K); Nairobi District, Karura Forest; 1°14'S, 36°49'E; 13 Mar. 1940 . Tanzania - Kilimanjaro • K.B. Vollesen 96/15 (K), Mkomazi Game Reserve, Ibaya Hill; 3°59'S, 37°47'E; alt. 1350 m; 03 Jun. 1996 • R.A. Abdallah 96/86 (K), Mkomazi National Park, Mkomazi Game Reserve, Maji Kununua Ridge; 3°53'S, 37°48'E; alt. 1500 m; 07 Jun. 1996 - Pwani • R.P. Sacleux 212 (P), Mandéra (Zanguebar); 6°12'51.22"S, 38°22'37.73"E; Jan. 1889 - Tanga • R.C. Wingfield 2880 (K), Msangasi Forest Reserve, 50 km S of Korogwe; 5°36'55.14"S, 38°27'06.26"E; alt. 300 m; 31 Mar. 1975 .