Uvariopsis oligocarpa Dagallier & Couvreur, 2023

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 oligocarpa Dagallier & Couvreur sp. nov.

Figs 75 , 76

Type.

Ghana - Western Region • M.C. Merello 1380 (holotype: MO! (MO3055200); isotype: WAG! (WAG.1570507)), Bia National Forest and Production Reserve . Secondary logging roads west from MIM Timber Company Camp; 6°24'15'N, 3°02'30'W; alt. 140 m; 04 Mar. 1996 .

Diagnosis.

Up. oligocarpa resembles Up. bisexualis , Up. congensis and Up. zenkeri when sterile, having elliptic leaves generally less than 15 cm long with decurrent base, but it differs clearly when fertile. Up. oligocarpa has unisexual flowers (vs. bisexual flowers in Up. bisexualis ) and less carpels (13 to 20 vs. 20 to 40 in Up. congensis ), which results in generally 1 to 3 monocarps reaching maturity on the ripe fruit (vs. up to 15 mature monocarps in Up. congensis ). The monocarps of Up. oligocarpa are pubescent to sparsely pubescent (vs. glabrate to glabrous in Up. congensis and tomentose in Up. zenkeri ), not constricted between the seeds (vs. strongly to slightly constricted between the seeds in Up. congensis and Up. zenkeri ), yellow to orange when ripe and brown to dark brown when dry (vs. green to red when ripe and black when dry in Up. congensis ), and sessile to very shortly stipitate with stipes shorter than 1 mm (vs. sessile to stipitate with stipes between 0 and 7 mm in Up. congensis ). In short, Up. oligocarpa can be distinguished from all the other Uvariopsis species by the combination of the following characters: plant with glabrous branches and elliptic leaves less than 150 mm, unisexual flowers, female flowers with less than 21 carpels, fruits composed of 1-3 monocarps reaching maturity, monocarps pubescent to sparsely pubescent and not constricted between the seeds (Table 6 ).

Description.

Tree 2-3 m tall, D.B.H unknown; young branches glabrous, old branches glabrous. Petiole 4-6 mm long, 1.7-2.5 mm wide, glabrous. Leaf lamina 90-149 mm long, 32-53 mm wide, length:width ratio 2.2-4, elliptic, papyraceous to coriaceous, base acute to decurrent, apex acuminate, acumen 10-21 mm long, surface above glabrous, surface below glabrous; midrib slightly impressed above, raised below, glabrous above, glabrous below; secondary veins 5-11 pairs, brochidodromous to 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 or sometimes borne on branches, composed of 1 flower. Peduncle inconspicuous. Flower pedicel 2-7 (20) mm long, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, pubescent. Bracts 1 to 3 at base, upper bract 0.5-3 mm long, 0.5-2 mm wide, broadly ovate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Sepals 2, 0.7-2.5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, depressed ovate, free to basally fused, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, color unknown. Petals 4, 4-6.5 (10) mm long, 2.5-6 (10) mm wide, length:width ratio 1-1.4, broadly ovate, free, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, yellowish cream to yellow outside. Male flowers: stamens 300 to 400, 0.5-1.6 mm long, 0.1-0.3 mm wide, anthers linear, connective prolongation truncate. Carpels ca. 20, ca. 1 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide, free, stunted, sterile (seen on only one male flower). Female flowers: carpels 13 to 20, 1-2 mm long, 0.5-1.1 mm wide, velutinous, free; stigma ca. 0.1 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide, coiled, glabrous. Fruiting pedicel 4-10 mm long, 1-3 mm in diameter, glabrous. Monocarps, 1-3, 25-60 mm long, 11-35 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.7-2.7, cylindrical, smooth, pubescent to sparsely pubescent, green ripening yellow to orange (orange-brown when dry), sessile to very shortly stipitate; stipe 0-1 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, pubescent. Seeds 8-13 per monocarp, biseriate, 8.5-14 mm long, 7-8 mm wide, ellipsoid to semicircular, in an orange pulp.

Distribution.

Endemic to Upper Guinean Domain of the Guineo-Congolian Region: Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone.

Habitat and ecology.

Lowland mature or secondary forest. Altitude: 140-285 m asl.

Phenology.

Flowers collected from February to June and in November. Fruits collected from January to March and from June to November.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the low number of monocarps reaching maturity in this species.

Preliminary conservation status.

This species is distributed in West Africa, from Sierra Leone to Ghana. Its EOO is estimated at 147,428 km2 and its AOO at 96 km2. Based on AOO, it would qualify for Endangered EN under B2, the other criteria (a, b, c) are not met. It is thus assigned a preliminary conservation status of Least Concern LC.

Additional specimens examined.

Ghana - Brong-Ahafo Region • J.B. Hall 44553 (K), Desiri F.R; 6°45'30.2'N, 2°18'06.66'W; 20 Jun. 1973 . Ivory Coast - Abidjan • F.M. van der Laan 640 (U, WAG), Centre Orstom Adiopodonme , 17 km Dabou rd. from Abidjan. Jardin Botanique; 5°19'30'N, 4°08'W; 29 Jun. 1983 • J.J. Bos 10345 (WAG), Centre Orstom Adiopodonme , 17 km Dabou road from Abidjan, Jardin Botanique; 5°20'N, 4°07'W; 16 Jun. 1978 - Adzopé • L. Aké Assi 12872 (G), Forêt de la Besso; 6°02'N, 3°41'W; 01 Apr. 1975 - Agboville • A.J.B. Chevalier 16721 (P), Bouroukrou , chemin de fer km 92; 6°04'N, 4°18'W; 20 Jan. 1907 • L. Bernardi 8623 (G, K, P), in regione Yapo-Nord , 60-70 km ad septentrionem Abidjan; 5°45'N, 4°07'W; 14 Mar. 1962 - Guiglo • A. Bakayoko 140 (G, P, WAG), Zagné; 6°13'N, 7°29'W; 23 May. 2002 • A.J.B. Chevalier 19308 (P), Keeta, Bassin du moyen Cavally. Pays des Oubi : village de Ke'eta et environs; 5°59'N, 7°28'W; 09 Jul. 1907 • A.J.B. Chevalier 19347 (P), Keeta, Bassin du moyen Cavally. Pays des Oubi : village de Ke'eta et environs; 5°59'N, 7°28'W; 09 Jul. 1907 • L. Aké Assi 12088 (K), Forêt près de Ziriglo; 5°37'N, 7°21'W; 04 Jun. 1973 • L. Aké Assi 13218 (G), entre Taï et Grabo: Troya ; 5°42'28.06'N, 7°23'42.49'W; 10 Jan. 1976 • L. Bernardi 8403 (G, K, P), De oppido Tienkulà, ad orientem per 5-9 km in silva alta; 6°08'N, 7°25'W; 02 Mar. 1962 • N. Stäuble 848 (G, MO), Taï; 5°52'N, 7°27'W; Feb. 1982 • N. Stäuble 849 (G, MO), Taï; 5°52'N, 7°27'W; 27 Dec. 1981 • P.R.J. Bamps 2600 (P), Zro ; 6°17'45.96'N, 7°34'22.69'W; Apr. 1970 - San-Pédro • C.C.H. Jongkind 4737 (WAG), Forêt Classée Monogaga, just south of Sassandra - San Pedro road; 4°51'48'N, 6°26'30'W; 25 Mar. 2000 - Sassandra • C. Geerling 2328 (WAG), Dakpadou-Sago ; 5°16'N, 5°58'W; 29 Mar. 1968 • J. de Koning 2657 (BR, MO, WAG), near Fuyt plantation; 5°03'N, 6°14'W; 11 Nov. 1973 - Soubré • A.J.B. Chevalier 19061 (P), Guideko, Bassin de la moyenne Sassandra entre Guidéko et la Zozro; 5°57'N, 6°35'W; 10 Jun. 1907 • A.J.B. Chevalier 19222 (P), entre le moyen Sassandra et le moyen Cavally ; 5°55'59.75'N, 7°03'46.35'W; 06 Jul. 1907 • A.J.B. Chevalier 19253bis (P), entre moy. Sassandra et moy. Cavally ; 5°55'59.75'N, 7°03'46.35'W; 06 Jul. 1907 • A.J.B. Chevalier 19282 (P), entre le moyen Sassandra et le moyen Cavally ; 5°55'59.75'N, 7°03'46.35'W; 04 Jul. 1907 • M. Scouppe 222 (G), Taï National Park, P.N. de Taï, zone du Centre, secteur Soubré, groupe de transect VH, RL6; 5°43'21.19'N, 7°53'25.45'W; alt. 220 m; 28 Jan. 2010 • P.R.J. Bamps 2507 (P), Guezon - Buyo ; 6°30'12.96'N, 7°03'18.22'W; Feb. 1970 - Unknown major area • A. de Rouw 334 (WAG), Pauleoula ; 5°49'N, 7°24'W; 08 Dec. 1986 . Liberia - Grand Gedeh • J.J.F.E. de Wilde 3656 (K, MA, MO, P, U, WAG) , Eastern Province, Putu District. Near Kanweake, a village c. 70 km S. of Chiehn ( Zwedru village ); 5°30'N, 8°03'W; 26 Mar. 1962 • J.T. Baldwin jr 7091 (K), Zwedru ; 6°04'N, 8°08'W; 09 Aug. 1947 . Sierra Leone - Eastern Province • B. Saradugu 57 (K, SL, WAG), Gola National Park , central block; 7°39'42.7'N, 10°52'02.6"W; alt. 285 m; 31 Oct. 2013 .

Figures

Figure 75. Uvariopsis oligocarpa Dagallier & Couvreur A leaves, upper side B leaf, lower side C flower bud, side view D female flower bud, two petals removed, side view E carpels, side view F carpel, top view G receptacle of male flower with stamens, top view H male flower, one petal removed and one petal falling down, side view I fruit with single monocarp, side view, note the hairs on the monocarp J mature fruit, entire (left), longitudinal section (right), side view. A, B, J Koivogui 98 C de Wilde 3656 D, F Merello 1380 H de Koning 2657 I Koivogui 244 E, G van der Laan 640. Photos A, B, I, J Ehoarn Bidault (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) C-H Leo-Paul Dagallier.

Figure 76. Distribution map of Uvariopsis oligocarpa. Shades of grey represent elevation, from white (sea level) to darker grey (higher elevation). The inset shows the extent of the map over Africa.