Monanthotaxis whytei (Stapf) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 29, 1971

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 : 243-244

Monanthotaxis whytei (Stapf) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 29, 1971

Map 9F

≡ Popowia whytei Stapf, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 37: 81, 1905.

Type.

Liberia. Sinon; Sinoe Basin, Whyte A. s.n., 1904: holotype: K[K000198908] .

Description.

Shrub to liana, 2-50 m tall, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrescent, young foliate branches densely pubescent with appressed to ascending reddish brown hairs 0.2 mm long. Leaves: petiole 1-7 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, densely pubescent with appressed to ascending reddish brown hairs, weakly grooved adaxially, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 8.8-19.4 cm long, 3.5-8.5 cm wide, obovate, apex acuminate to acute, acumen 0.5-1 cm long, base subcordate, papyraceous to subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, above sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib sunken or flat, above sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old; secondary veins 8 to 14 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent, sometimes not visible. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences cauliflorous or ramiflorous on old leafless branches, axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 per inflorescence, peduncle 2-8 mm, densely pubescent with yellowish slightly erect hairs; pedicel 7-11 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, densely pubescent with yellowish slightly erect hairs; in fruit 13-20 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter; basal bract 1-2 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; upper bract 1-2 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals entirely covered in bud; outer petals 3, 3.4-5 mm long, 3.4-4.5 mm wide, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, yellow to light green, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous, pubescent towards margins inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 3-4 mm long, 1.5-2.2 mm wide, elliptic to ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens 9, in 1 row, ca. 1 mm long, obconical; connective truncate, glabrous; staminodes 9, in one external whorl and alternating with the stamens, glabrous; carpels free, 27 to 36, ovary ca. 1 mm long, stigma elongate, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 5-12 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter; monocarps up to 10, 15-38 mm long, ca. 8 mm in diameter, moniliform, ellipsoid to globose, apex rounded to apiculate, pubescent to glabrous, verrucose, constricted around seeds, yellow to orange when ripe; seeds 1 to 3 per monocarp, 9-10 mm long, 6-7 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A mainly West African species, from Sierra Leone to Benin, and Nigeria to Cameroon; in Cameroon known from the South region.

Habitat.

A rare species just reaching in Cameroon and known by a single collection in Cameroon, in lowland primary or old secondary rain forests, swampy forests, gallery forests and in savanna regions. Altitude 0-50 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) ( Hoekstra et al. 2021).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Monanthotaxis whytei is distinguished by the cauliflorous or ramiflorous inflorescences with rounded floral buds and flowers with 9 stamens and 9 small staminodes.

Specimen examined.

South Region: ca 15 km N of Kribi Edéa roadLittoral forest behind beach ca 50 m from s 3.01°N, 9.966°E, 04 February 1969, Bos J.J. 3854 (P,WAG,YA).

Figures

Map 9. A Monanthotaxis sterilis B Monanthotaxis submontana C Monanthotaxis tripetala D Monanthotaxis vogelii E Monanthotaxis vulcanica F Monanthotaxis whytei G Monanthotaxis zenkeri H Monodora angolensis I Monodora crispata. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).