Artabotrys insignis Engl. & Diels, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34: 483, 1907

Couvreur, Thomas L. P., Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J., Crozier, Francoise, Ghogue, Jean-Paul, Hoekstra, Paul H., Kamdem, Narcisse G., Johnson, David M., Murray, Nancy A. & Sonke, Bonaventure, 2022, Flora of Cameroon - Annonaceae Vol 45, PhytoKeys 207, pp. 1-532 : 65-67

Artabotrys insignis Engl. & Diels, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34: 483, 1907

Fig. 11 ; Map 2E

= Artabotrys malchairi De Wild., Etudes Fl. Bangala & Ubangi: 312, 1911. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Equateur, Environ de Likimi, Malchair L. 282, 20 Apr 1910: lectotype, sheet here designated: BR[BR0000014480478]; isotype: BR[BR0000014480461].

= Artabotrys insignis var. latifolius Pellegr., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 94: 256, 1947. Type. Gabon. Ogooué-Lolo, région de Lastoursville, Moughimba, Le Testu G.M.P.C. 8474; 27 Oct 1930: lectotype, here designated: P[P01954179]; isolectotype: BM[BM000546856].

= Artabotrys lucidus A. Chev.; Expl. Bot. Afr. Occ. Franc., 1: 9, 1920, nom. nud.

Type.

Cameroon. South Region; Bipindi, Zenker G.A. 2801, 1904: lectotype, sheet here designated: B[B 10 0153021]; isotypes: B[B 10 0153022]; COI[COI00004928]; GOET[GOET005674]; HBG[HBG502547]; K[K000198855]; MO[MO-216862]; P[P00363364]; S[S-G-7465]; WAG[WAG0053175]; WU[WU0025886] .

Description.

Liana, up to 10 m tall, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches pubescent with short appressed hairs. Leaves: petiole 2-3 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to glabrous, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 10-20 cm long, 3.5-6 cm wide, ovate to elliptic, apex acuminate to acute, acumen 0.5-1 cm long, base acute, subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, above glabrous when young and old, concolorous; midrib impressed, above sparsely pubescent to glabrous when young, glabrous when old, below sparsely pubescent to pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent when old; secondary veins 9 to 12 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, leaf opposed, 1 to 3 per inflorescence, hook-shaped peduncle 16-25 mm long; pedicel 2-5 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent with short appressed hairs; in fruit 2-3 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 2(?), all basal, basal bracts not seen; sepals 3, valvate, free, 10-15 mm long, 5-8 mm wide, triangular, apex acute, base truncate, green turning light reddish, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, sub equal; outer petals 3, 30-35 mm long, 7-12 mm wide, elliptic, apex acute, base attenuate (rounded), green, margins flat but recurved outwards in vivo, pubescent to densely pubescent outside, pubescent to sparsely pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 15-25 mm long, 2-6 mm wide, elliptic to oblong, apex acute, base broad and concave, margins flat, but recurved outwards in vivo, densely pubescent to pubescent outside, pubescent to sparsely pubescent inside; stamens numerous, number of rows not seen, 2 mm long, cuneiform; connective discoid, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 12 to 17, ovary 3-4 mm long, stigma cylindrical, pubescent. Monocarps sessile, 7 to 9, 20-25 mm long, 10-12 mm in diameter, ellipsoid, apex long apiculate and slightly curved, glabrous, smooth, not ribbed; red when ripe, seeds 2 per monocarp, 8-11 mm long, 4-6 mm in diameter, flattened ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A west and central African species, from Sierra Leone to Benin and from Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Cameroon known from Central, East, South and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A fairly common species in Cameroon, in secondary rain forests a long fringes of forests, in swampy regions too. Altitude 100-800 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Not evaluated.

Uses in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Notes.

Artabotrys insignis var. insignis is distinguished by its overall relatively glabrous branches and petioles, long (> 10 cm) elliptic leaves with an acute leaf base (more rarely rounded), long (10-15 mm) triangular sepals, long and wide petals, and glabrous smooth fruits with a distinctive long curved apicule.

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Route Ndanan I-Ndangan I, 3.62°N, 11.58°E, 10 March 2004, Cheek M. 11641 (K,YA); Yangafok II 25 km ENE de Bafia, 4.93°N, 11.37°E, 26 November 1969, Letouzey R. 9607 (P,YA) . East Region: 82 km south of Yokadouma 30 km after Ngato 15 km after river ALPICAM 'base de vie’ then 40 km on forestry road starting 4 km before Masea village , 3.15°N, 14.73°E, 06 March 2019, Couvreur T.L.P. 1214 (MPU,WAG,YA) . South Region: Campo Ma’an National Park 11 km on trail from Ebinanemeyong village on road 7 km from Nyabessan to Campo town , 2.46°N, 10.35°E, 14 February 2015, Couvreur T.L.P. 710 (WAG,YA); Ebom, 3.1°N, 10.73°E, 25 February 1997, Elad M. 580 (KRIBI,WAG); Ebom, 3.1°N, 10.71°E, 26 February 1997, Parren M.P.E. 4 (KRIBI,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 January 1904, Zenker G.A. 2801 (B,BR,K,L,P,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1907, Zenker G.A. 3320 (P) . South-West Region: Mount Cameroon National Park on the Bomona trail behind Bomona village 10 km NW from Idenau , 4.29°N, 9.096°E, 03 April 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 1044 (MPU,WAG,YA); Korup National Park , 5.28°N, 9.083°E, 03 April 1988, Thomas D.W. 7578 (MO,P) .

Figures

Map 2. A Artabotrys aurantiacus B Artabotrys aurantiacus var. multiflorus C Artabotrys congolensis D Artabotrys dielsianus E Artabotrys insignis F Artabotrys insignis var. batesii G Artabotrys jacques-felicis H Artabotrys rufus I Artabotrys thomsonii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 11. Artabotrys aurantiacus var. aurantiacus A flowering branch B outer petal, inner view C inner petal, outer and inner views D flowering receptacle with petals removed E stamen F carpel, side view and detail of basal ovules G fruiting branch. Artabotrys aurantiacus Var. multiflorus H flowering branch, note the numerous flowers. Artabotrys insignis var. insignis I flowering branch J outer petal, inner view K inner petal, inner view L flower, whole M stamen N carpel, side view, and detail of ovules O fruiting branch, note long apiculate apex of monocarps A-F from Le Testu 8499 G from Le Testu 4430 H from Le Testu 7116 I-N from Le Testu 8674; 15 from Berteler 2959. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b; pl. 26, p. 143).