Uvariastrum insculptum (Engler & Diels) Sprague & Hutch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 159. 1916.

Couvreur, Thomas L. P., 2014, Revision of the African genus Uvariastrum (Annonaceae), PhytoKeys 33, pp. 1-40 : 14-18

3. Uvariastrum insculptum (Engler & Diels) Sprague & Hutch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 159. 1916. Figure 9

Uvaria insculpta Engl. & Diels, Notizbl. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 295. 1899.

Type.

Cameroon. South-West Province: Johann-Albrechtshöhe [Kumba], 1896, A. Staudt 740 (lectotype, designated here: B! [B100153111]; isolectotypes: COI!, EA!, G! 2-sheets [G00011729], K! 3-sheets [K000105338, K000105339, K000105340], P! 2-sheets [P00315828, P00315829], S!).

Type.

Based on Uvaria insculpta Engl. & Diels.

Description.

Tree or shrub to 4-7 (15) m high, d.b.h. 2.5-5 cm; old branches spreading, glabrous, bark brown-grey; young branches pubescent, hairs ca. 0.5-1 mm long, erect, brown; leaf buds elongated, pubescent, hairs ca. 1 mm long, appressed, light brown. Petioles 1-2(4) mm long, 1 mm in diameter; pubescent, hairs ca. 0.4-0.8 mm long, erect, red brown, persisting in older leaves; leaf lamina inserted on top, weakly grooved adaxially. Leaf lamina 6-14 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, length:width ratio 2.5 -4, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or narrowly obovate to obovate, papyraceous to sub coriaceous, glabrous to very sparsely pubescent adaxially, sparsely pubescent quickly becoming glabrous abaxially; dark green adaxially; lighter green abaxially; base rounded to subcordate, apex acuminate, acumen 1-2 cm long; midrib pubescent in young leaves quickly becoming glabrous adaxially, hairs ca. 0.1 mm long, appressed, brown; densely to sparsely pubescent abaxially, hairs ca. 0.3 mm long, appressed, brown; secondary veins 8-12, straight to curving upwards, clearly anatomizing towards margins, glabrous, imprinted adaxially; sparsely pubescent, hairs ca. 0.3 mm long, appressed, brown, clearly visible abaxially. Rhipidia 1-2, on leafy branches, and one report of cauliflory. Flowering pedicels 0.8-1.5 cm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, hairs 0.2-0.5 mm long, appressed, light brown. Bracts up to 3, ca. 4 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, basal, densely pubescent outside, hairs ca. 0.5 mm long, light to darker brown, glabrous inside. Sepals 0.7-1.5 cm long, 5-8 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.4-2.5, ovate to broadly ovate, base truncate, apex acute, margins slightly folded; densely pubescent, hairs ca. 0.5 mm long, appressed, light brown when dried; horizontally spreading in mature flowers, falling when in fruit, green to light green or pale yellow with darker margins in fresh flowers. Outer petals 2.3-3.5 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, length:width ratio 2-4, ovate to narrowly ovate, base narrowing, apex acute, densely pubescent to tomentose outside, hairs ca. 0.1 mm long, appressed, light brown, more densely pubescent along central vein, sparsely pubescent to tomentose inside, hairs ca. 0.1 mm long, appressed, light brown; pale yellow to white in fresh flowers. Inner petals smaller than outer ones, 1-2 cm long, 0.6-1 cm wide, length:width ratio 2-4, ovate to narrowly ovate, base narrowing, apex acute, pubescence and color same as outer petals; pale yellow to white in fresh flowers. Stamens 2-2.5 mm long, connective discoid, ca. 0.5 mm in diameter, densely pubescent; bright red. Carpels 6-7, falling off before stamens, 2-3 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, hairs 0.7-1 mm long, apprressed upwards, light brown; stigma ca. 1.5 mm in diameter, bilobed, glabrous, yellow to creamy; ovules 19-26, biseriate. Fruiting pedicels 1-2 cm long, 2-5 mm in diameter, woody, densely to sparsely pubescent, hairs ca. 0.5 mm long, appressed, light brown. Monocarps 2-8, 3-6 cm long, 1-2 cm in diameter, oblong to narrowly oblong, straight or bending, longitudinally ribbed, ribs ca. 4-6, resembling that of a peanut, densely pubescent all over, more so along ribs, hairs ca. 0.2 mm long, light brown; stipe 2-6 mm long, 2-5 mm in diameter; rostre 2-4 mm long. Seeds, ca. 20 per monocarp, 1-1.5 cm long, 0.7-0.9 cm wide, ellipsoid flat, 3-5 mm in depth, testa dark brown; raphe raised, slightly darker brown; hilum 2-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate.

Distribution.

Mainly a West African species, found in Liberia and Ivory Coast, two collections in Cameroon and two in Gabon; Figure 10 .

Habitat and ecology. Found in lowland primary and secondary rain forest 0-400 m.

Phenology.

Mature flowers found between Oct and Feb. Mature fruits found in Feb and from Apr till May and in Jul.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

LC: Uvariastrum insculptum is well represented in herbaria and has a large distribution across West Africa, and a few specimens from Central Africa. It is also present in several protected areas such as national parks or protected areas ( Taï National Park, Banco National Park, Monogaga Forest Reserve (Ivory Coast); Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve (Nigeria)). The Least Concern category thus seems appropriate.

Vernacular names.

None known.

Uses.

None known.

Notes.

This is the only largely West African species of the genus, although it occurs in the South-West region of Cameroon. It is easily distinguishable by its densely pubescent leaves and midrib and its impressed venation of the upper side of the leaves.

Two Staudt collections were cited in the protologue of Uvaria insculpta : n. 740 and n. 900. Although it would appear as if the former was already considered as the lectotype I found no publication formalizing this (e.g., Global Plants), so I have lectotypified it here using because it has several sheets compared to one located for #900.

Specimens examined.

Cameroon. South-West Province: Johann-Albrechtshöhe Kumba, Staudt, A. 900 (G); Likomba Pflanzung, 15-35 km NE von Victoria, Dec 1928, Mildbraed, G.W.J. 10795 (A, K).

Gabon. Ngounié: along a forestry road of chantier EFT (Exploitaion Forestière de Tsanba) starting at Ndjemba village on Fougamou-Lambaréné road, 29 Oct 2009, Bissiengou, P. 644 (LBV, WAG); CFAD de Rimbunan Hijau, au Sud-Ouest du Parc National de la Lopé, 448m, 31 Jan 2009, Dauby, G.V. 1510 (BRLU); Ogooué-Ivindo: 5km Sud du Petit Okano, 20 Mar 1979, Florence, J. 1853 (P).

Ghana. Western Region: Asientiem, 11 Jul 1912, Chipp, T.F. 291 (K).

Ivory Coast. Abidjan: km 52 new road Abidjan-Ndouci, c. 10 km E of Sikensi, 19 Jul 1979, Kruif, A.P.M. de 207 (FHO,WAG); Banco arboretum near Abidjan, 9 Oct 1961, Wilde, J.J.F.E. de 3126 (K,WAG); Banco Forest Reserve, near Arboretum, along Banco River, 26 Feb 1975, Koning, J. de 5412 (BR, C, E, G, MA, MO, WAG); Abid jan, Banco Forest Reserve, Botanic Garden, 26 Feb 1976, Koning, J. de 6583 (AAU, BR, C, EA, FR, G, GC, K, LMU, MA, MO, P, PRE, SL, WAG); Adiopodoumé, 5 Feb 1961, Wit, H.C.D. de 9110 (WAG); forêt du Banco, 20 Apr 1973, Aké Assi, L. 12030 (G); Arboretum du Banco, 19 Dec 1973, Aké Assi, L. 12295 (G); forêt du Banco, 26 Mar 1980, Aké Assi, L. 15146 (G); forêt du Banco, 1 Jun 1981, Aké Assi, L. 15900 (G); Arboretum du Banco, 5 Nov 1984, Aké Assi, L. 16772 (B, G); Banco, 10 Mar 1932, Aubréville, A. SF 1331 (P); Le Banco, Jun 1932, Aubréville, A. SF 1341 (P); Adzopé: On border of Comoé river, c. 15 km NW of Mbasso, c. 60 km NE of Adzopé, 27 Jul 1963, Wilde, W.J.J.O. de 570 (BR, K, P, WAG, Z); San-Pédro: Forêt Classée Monogaga, just north of Sassandra - San Pedro road, 24 Mar 2000, Jongkind, C.C.H. 4707 (MO, U, WAG); Classified forest of Monogaga, 26 Apr 1997, Breteler, F.J. 13761 (WAG); Sassandra: 79 km NNE of Sassandra, Lagako-Tokpeko, 7 May 1975, Burg, W.J. van der 131 (WAG); 61 km N of Sassandra, W of Niapidou, 19 Jan 1959, Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. 2492 (P, WAG); 61 km N of Sassandra, W of Niapidou, 21 Feb 1959, Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. 2785 (P, WAG); 44 km Lakota-Sassandra, 28 Oct 1968, Breteler, F.J. 5811 (BR, EA, HBG, K, LG, LISC, MA, MO, P, PRE, SRGH, U, WAG); Tabou: P.N. Taï, environ 0.5 Km à l’Est de la Station CRE, 5°51'N, 7°21'W, Feb 1999, Menzies, A. 107 (G); Entre Djiroutou et le mont Niénoukoué. Guiroutou, 50m au Sud du layon ‘Hana’; à 3.5 Km du campement écotouristique, Mar 1999, Menzies, A. 459 (G); P.N. Taï, station d’écologie, 12 Jul 1996, Chatelain, C. 1358 (CSRS).

Liberia. Grand Gedeh: Putu Hills, E ridge, Mt. Jideh, 254m, 2 Dec 2010, Putu Botanic Team EP 1307 (WAG).

Nigeria. Cross River State: Calabar, Eket Distr, Stubbs Greek F.R. near Unyene, 10 Jan 1959, Keay, R.W.J. 37719 (K); Lagos State: Lagos Botanical Station, Atigere, Feb 1893, Millen, H. 15 (K); Eba, 1931, Kennedy, J.D. 1711 (FHO); road leading Murtala Muhamed botanical gardens, 26 Nov 1994, Daramola, B.O. 94/ 581 (F, MO).

Figures

Figure 9. Uvariastrum pierreanum. A Flowering branch B cauliflorous flower C Transversal cut of flower showing carpels and stamens D detail of sepals E detail of carpels and ovule placentation; stamen G fruit. Uvariastrum inscultptum H Flowering branch I flower bud J sepals K carpel L stamen M fruits. Drawing Helene Lamourdedieux, modified from La Flore du Gabon, Fig. 53. 1969.

Figure 10. Distribution of Uvariastrum insculptum.