Monodora globiflora Couvreur, 2006

Couvreur, Thomas L. P., Gereau, Roy E., Wieringa, Jan J. & Richardson, James E., 2006, Description of four new species of Monodora and Isolona (Annonaceae) from Tanzania and an overview of Tanzanian Annonaceae diversity, Adansonia (3) 28 (2), pp. 243-266 : 248-250

Monodora globiflora Couvreur , sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

Verdcourt, Flora of Tropical East Africa: 123 (1971) as Monodora sp. B .

Haec species inter congeneros quoad flores solitarios, petala externa margine undulata etiam interna unguiculata supra receptaculum omnino conniventia ad Monodoram brevipedem Benth. maxime accedit, sed ab ea foliis venatione tertiaria percurrente, pedicello pubescente atque petalis internis utrinque pubescentibus distinguitur.

TYPUS. — Tanzania. Iringa Region, Kilolo Distr., Udzungwa Mountains , 07°42’S, 36°37’E, 13.X.2002, fl., Luke 9136 (holo-, MO!; iso-, EA!, K!, NHT) .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Tanzania. Iringa Region, Kilolo Distr., Uhimbila, 7°31’S, 36°10’E, alt. 1850 m, XI.1953, fl., Carmichael 274 (EA!, K!). — Udzungwa Mountains NP, Mt. Luhomero Pt 131, 7°47’S, 36°33’E, alt. 1440 m, 27.IX.2000, fl., Luke 6724 (EA!, K!, NHT). — Udzungwa Mountains , Pt 362, 7°40’S, 36°39’E, alt. 1800 m, 15.X.2002, fl., Luke 9178 (EA!, K!, MO!, NHT). — Ndundulu, Udzungwa Mountains , West of Kilombero F. R., 7°46’46”S, 36°28’26”E, alt. 1700 m, 10.II.2000, fr., Price WK 354 (MO!). — Image Mt. , 7°30’S, 36°10’E, alt. 2000 m, XI.1959, fl., Procter 1541 (EA!, K!) .

HABITAT. — Sparse high montane forest, at 1700-2000 m altitude, on well drained brown sandy loams with extensive areas of rock faces.

DISTRIBUTION. — Only known from montane forests of the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania ( Fig. 5 ).

DESCRIPTION

Tree c. 4 m tall; bark grey with white lenticels; young branchlets drying black, densely pubescent. Petiole c. 8 mm long, pubescent, with a groove above; leaf blade elliptic, sometimes obovate, papyraceous, 12- 13 × 4-5 cm, acute to cuspidate at apex, cuneate to rounded at base, pubescent below, glabrous above; younger leaves more densely pubescent than older ones; midrib densely pubescent on both sides with pubescence disappearing in older leaves, prominent below, raised above; secondary veins 14 to 16 pairs, strongly curved and regularly parallel,anastomosing 3- 4 mm from the margin; tertiary nerves percurrent.

Flowers solitary and axillary, pendulous, flowering on previous year’s branches; pedicel slender, in flower 40-45 mm long, pubescent; in fruit woody, black with white lenticels c. 40 mm long, 3-4 mm in diam., glabrous; bract inserted in lower half of pedicel, rounded, cup-shaped, c. 8 × c. 7 mm, auriculate-clasping, green, the margins non-undulate and very densely white-ciliate. Sepals broadly elliptic, 8-10 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, rounded at apex, the margins entire and densely white-ciliate; outer petals slightly reflexed and curved inwards at apex when fully opened, elliptic, 28-32 × 18-23 mm, cuneate apex, creamy yellow streaked with red slashes and spots or sometimes light green streaked with darkish green,undulate, glabrous; inner petals clawed, same colour as outer petals, the claw widening gradually into lamina, 3-5 × 2-4 mm at base, the lamina broadly transversely elliptic, 7-8 × 10-12mm, slightly acuminate at apex, pubescent with trichomes c. 1 mm long in center, manicate along the margins, the whole lamina connivent over receptacle like a globe; stamens c. 0.8 mm long, glabrous, the connective appendages c. 0.1 mm long;ovary c. 1 mm long with a glabrous stigma.

Fruit irregularly globose, 4-5 cm in diam., glabrous, irregularly ribbed, the pericarp thin, white, green-reticulate; seeds c. 15 mm long, c. 7 mm wide, oval, embedded in white pulp.

Pollen: tetrad acalymmate, tetragonal sub-square shaped monads coherent.Size at longest axis: tetrad, 63-76 µm; monad, 39-45 µm. Tectum structure: reticulate-perforate ( Fig. 7C, D ).

VERNACULAR NAME

Mkimi (Kihehe).

NOTES

The species has been photographed by Mr Quentin Luke. The specimen Luke 9178 has green to yellow flowers with white streaks, while Luke 9136 has yellow petals with red streaks. This indicates some variation in colour that needs further investigation in the field.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Monodora globiflora Couvreur: A, flowering branch; B, leaf; C, pedicel with sepals; D, mature flower (top view); E, detail of inner petal (inside view); F, androecium and gynoecium; G, stamen; H, fruiting pedicel and fruit. Drawing by Wil Wessel-Brand. Scale bars: A, C-E, H, 1 cm; F, G, 1 mm.

FIG. 5. — Distribution of the new species of Monodora in Tanzania and Mozambique. Symbols: grey patches, land above 1400 m; ■, M. carolinae Couvreur;●, M. globiflora Couvreur;▲, M. hastipetala Couvreur.

FIG. 7. — SEM of pollen grains and tectum structure: A, B, Monodora carolinae Couvreur; C, D, M. globiflora Couvreur; E, F, M. hastipetala Couvreur; G, H, Isolona hexaloba Engl. & Diels from Ivory Coast; I, J, Isolona linearis Couvreur. A, B, Phillipson 4940 (C); C, D, Luke 3136 (MO); E, F, Phillipson 4958 (MO); G, H, de Wilde et al. 839 (WALKB, WAG); I, J, Frimodt-Møller et al. TZ59 (C). Scale bars: A, C, E, G, I, 10 µm; B, D, F, H, J, 1 µm.