Uvariopsis lovettiana Couvreur & Q.Luke, Blumea 55(1): 70 (2010)

Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J., Mbago, Frank M., Couderc, Marie, Gaudeul, Myriam, Grall, Aurelie, Loup, Caroline, Wieringa, Jan J., Sonke, Bonaventure & Couvreur, Thomas L. P., 2023, Phylogenomic inference of the African tribe Monodoreae (Annonaceae) and taxonomic revision of Dennettia, Uvariodendron and Uvariopsis, PhytoKeys 233, pp. 1-200 : 1

Uvariopsis lovettiana Couvreur & Q.Luke, Blumea 55(1): 70 (2010)

Figs 70 , 71 , 72

Type.

Tanzania - Morogoro • T.L.P. Couvreur 97b (holotype: WAG! (WAG0361229), sheet here designated; isotypes: DSM, MO, WAG! (WAG0361230, WAG0361231)); Kilombero District, E Udzungwa National Park. In forest S of Mwanihana hill. c. 2 km S of last camping site on Mwanihana trail; 7°48'35.36'S, 36°49'26.4'E; alt. 1400 m; 30 Nov. 2006 .

Description.

Tree 3-30 m tall, D.B.H 3.5-50 cm; young branches sparsely pubescent to glabrous, old branches glabrous. Petiole 4-9 mm long, 1.2-1.5 mm wide, sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Leaf lamina 150-280 mm long, 45-72 mm wide, length:width ratio 2.5-4, elliptic, coriaceous, base acute to decurrent, apex acute to acuminate, acumen 5-25 mm long, surface above glabrous, surface below sparsely pubescent to glabrous when young, glabrous when old; midrib impressed above, raised below, glabrous above, glabrous below; secondary veins 9-16 pairs, weakly brochidodromous, impressed above, raised below; tertiary veins reticulate. Flowers unisexual, male and female flowers similar, on same individuals (plant monoecious). Flower buds globose. Male and female inflorescences axillary, composed of 1 flower. Peduncle inconspicuous. Flower pedicel 14-50 mm long, 0.7-3 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent. Bracts 1 to 2 at base, upper bract 0.5-3 mm long, 0.5-3 mm wide, broadly ovate, puberulent outside, glabrous inside. Sepals 2, 1-4 mm long, 2-5 mm wide, depressed to broadly ovate, basally fused, pubescent to glabrous outside, glabrous inside, green. Petals 4, 6-15 mm long, 5-8 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.4-1.7, ovate, free, sparsely pubescent to glabrous outside, glabrous inside, light green outside, white inside. Male flowers: stamens ca. 160, 1.1-2 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, anthers linear, connective prolongation truncate. Female flowers: stamens 1-5, ca. 1 mm long, minute, fertile. Carpels 32 to 100, 2-3.5 mm long, 1-3 mm wide, densely pubescent, free; stigma ca 0.5 mm long, 0.2-1 mm wide. Fruiting pedicel 14-42 mm long, 1-2.5 mm in diameter, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Monocarps, 2-7, 13.5-37 mm long, 4.5-17 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.1-3, cylindrical, smooth to lumpy, strongly constricted between the seeds, apex rounded to slightly acuminate, sparsely pubescent to glabrous, glossy yellow to red, stipitate; stipe 2.5-14 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Seeds 2-6 per monocarp, uniseriate, 13.5-15 mm long, ca. 10 mm wide, ellipsoid, testa smooth, papery, peeling off.

Distribution.

Endemic to Somalia-Masai Region: Tanzania.

Habitat and ecology.

Submontane mature rain forests. Altitude: 900-1700 m asl.

Phenology.

Flowers collected in January, February, May, July, August and from October to December. Fruits collected in February and from June to November.

Notes.

Up. lovettiana resemble Up. congensis in having elliptic leaves with acute to decurrent base and attenuate to acuminate apex, and cylindrical monocarps strongly constricted between the seeds. However, Up. lovettiana has generally larger leaves than Up. congensis (15-28 cm long vs. 7-17.7 cm long), longer flower pedicels (14-50 mm long vs. 3-11 mm long), and larger petals (6-15 mm long and 5-8 mm wide vs. 2.5-8 mm long and 1.5-5 mm wide).

Preliminary conservation status.

This species is endemic from Tanzania. It has previously been assessed preliminarily as Near Threatened based on IUCN criterion B by Couvreur and Luke (2010). Since then, several specimens have been found south-west of the Udzungwa Mountains and in the Morogoro region. Its EOO is thus estimated at 20,766 km2 and its AOO is estimated at 68 km2. It would fall under the Endangered EN category based on AOO, but no other subcriteria (a, b or c) is met. Following IUCN criterion B, we thus assigned a preliminary conservation status of Least Concern LC.

Additional specimens examined.

Tanzania - Iringa • C. Frimodt-Møller TZ95 (DSM, K), Luhega Forest Reserve , Iringa District, T7; 8°21'S, 35°58'E; alt. 1600 m; 20 Jan. 1997 • C.E. Bracebridge 102 (MO); Kilolo District, Kilombero Nature Reserve, Udekwa Village ; 7°48'06'S, 36°30'21'E; alt. 1415 m; 22 Oct. 2009 • D.W. Thomas 3921 (K, MO); Iringa Rural District, Mwanihana Forest Reserve, above Sanje village . Forest on steep slope with small streams and swamps, and patches of elfin forest on ridge top; 7°50'S, 36°55'E; alt. 1400 m; 10 Oct. 1984 • L. Festo 2014 (MO); Kilolo District, Udzungwa Mountains National park, Udzungwa forest, c. 10 km from Msolwa village at source of Msolwa stream; 7°42'11'S, 36°52'23'E; alt. 1350 m; 24 Oct. 2005 • M.A. Mwangoka 8670 (MO); Kilolo District, Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, Idegenda area, E part of Idegenda village ; 8°23'S, 35°57'E; alt. 1650 m; 04 Dec. 2012 • W.A. Rodgers 2252 (DSM, K); Iringa Rural District, Udekwa village, forest blowk to East. West of Kilombero F.R; 7°55'S, 36°30'E; alt. 1676 m; Oct. 1982 • W.R.Q. Luke 10369 (K, MO); Kilolo District, Ndundulu Forest reserve, Camp 589 - Camp 590; 7°47'S, 36°29'E; alt. 1440 m; 06 Sep. 2004 • W.R.Q. Luke 6722 (MO); Iringa Rural District, Udzungwa Mountain NP Mt Luhombero Pt 129-131; 7°47'S, 36°32'E; alt. 1440 m; 27 Sep. 2000 • W.R.Q. Luke 7730 (EA, K, NHT), Pt 211; 7°47'S, 36°49'E; alt. 1080 m; 23 Sep. 2001 • W.R.Q. Luke 9195 (EA, K), Pt 370-371; 7°40'S, 36°40'E; alt. 1780 m; 16 Oct. 2002 - Morogoro • A.R. Marshall 1116 (K), Gologolo - PSP10. Uddzungwa Nationa Park. Udzungwa Mountains ; 7°41'31.36'S, 36°52'21.02'E; alt. 1772 m; 07 Aug. 2007 • A.R. Marshall 2010 (K); Kilombero District, Ndundulu - Kipunji Plot 1. Kilombero Nature Reserve. udzungwa Mountains ; 7°48'17.36'S, 36°30'09.69'E; alt. 1425 m; 30 Jul. 2010 • A.R. Marshall 2114 (K), Udzungwa Forest, Kipunji ; 7°48'14.36'S, 36°30'10.01'E; 28 May. 2011 • M.A. Mwangoka 3973 (MO); Mvomero District, Kanga Forest Reserve, Kwamndolwa area ; 6°00'S, 37°43'E; 29 Jun. 2005 • M.A. Mwangoka 7178 (MO); Kilosa District, Lumuma Ward, Lunezi Village, Mianzini forest between Lunenzi and Manyomis subvillage; 6°49'18'S, 36°44'36'E; alt. 1530 m; 15 Dec. 2010 • Y.S. Abeid 2625 (MO); Mvomero District, Kanga Forest Resrve, Work Unit 1, North East Transect , 500 m from centre point; 5°59'S, 37°40'E; alt. 900 m; 21 Feb. 2006 - Tanga • A.L. Borhidi 82177 (DSM) ; Lushoto District, SE corner of Mazumbai University Forest Reserve with ' Lundgren's plot'; 4°48'S, 38°30'E; alt. 1400 m; 24 Feb. 1982 • B.J. Harris 6257 (DSM), West Usambara Mountains, Mwazumbai ; 4°48'S, 38°30'E; alt. 1450 m; 06 Apr. 1972 • C.J. Kayombo 1406 (MO); Korogwe District, T3. Ambangulu Tea Estate, Forest Reserve 5 km W of Ambangulu Tea Factory above Estate road to Makunga ; 5°04'48'S, 38°25'05'E; alt. 1300 m; 03 Nov. 1998 • L.-P.M.J. Dagallier 64 (DSM, MPU, WAG); Korogwe District, East Usambaras, Ambangulu , top of the mountain above the tea plantations; 5°04'08.38'S, 38°24'30.45'E; alt. 1316 m; 20 Nov. 2019 • L.-P.M.J. Dagallier 66 (DSM, K, MO, MPU, P, WAG); Korogwe District, East Usambaras, Ambangulu , top of the mountain above the tea plantations; 5°03'57.38'S, 38°23'59.43'E; alt. 1208 m; 20 Nov. 2019 .

Figures

Figure 70. Uvariopsis lovettiana Couvreur & Q. Luke A habit B branch with leaves, upper side C branch with leaves, lower side D leaf base, upper side E leaf base, lower side F flower bud, side view G male flower, top view H female flower, top view. A-F Dagallier 66 G, H Couvreur 97 b (type). Photos A-F Leo-Paul Dagallier G, H Thomas Couvreur.

Figure 71. Uvariopsis lovettiana Couvreur & Q. Luke A flowering branch B male flower, semi-bottom view C detail of outer petal indumentum D female flower, top view E detail of female flower, three petals removed, side view F carpels G longitudinal section of carpel H male flower, top view I male flower, one petal removed, side view J stamen, lateral view K stamen, back view L stamen, front view M fruit N seed, top view O seed, side view. A-L from Couvreur 97 b (type) M-O from Luke 10369. Drawing by Hans de Vries, from " A new species of Uvariopsis (Annonaceae), endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania " Blumea 55: 1, fig. 1, p. 69 (Couvreur and Luke 2010), with permission from Blumea.

Figure 72. Distribution map of Uvariopsis lovettiana. Shades of grey represent elevation, from white (sea level) to darker grey (higher elevation). The inset shows the extent of the map over Africa.