Xylopia katangensis De Wild., Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. Ser . 4, Bot. 1(2): 32-33, 1902

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 : 464-466

Xylopia katangensis De Wild., Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. Ser. 4, Bot. 1(2): 32-33, 1902

Map 18A

Type.

Democratic Republic of the Congo. Katanga; Lukafu, Verdick E. 503, May 1900: holotype: BR[BR0000024941556] .

Description.

Tree, up to 13 m tall, d.b.h. 60 cm; buttresses present. Old branches glabrous, young branches sparsely pubescent, the hairs ca. 0.2 mm long. Leaves: petiole 4-9 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, glabrous, slightly grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 7.1-9.4 cm long, 2.4-3.3 cm wide, lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, apex acuminate to acute, acumen 0.4-1.1 cm long, base cuneate, subcoriaceous, below glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, above glabrous when young and old, slightly discolorous; midrib slightly raised or flat, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young, glabrous when old; secondary veins 10 to 15 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate or old leafless branches, axillary, peduncle 1-3.5 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 12 per inflorescence; pedicel 6-9 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diameter, pubescent to sparsely pubescent; in fruit 8-14 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 2 to 4, several basal and one upper towards the upper half of pedicel, bract 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 1-2 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, triangular to ovate, apex acute to obtuse, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free, subequal; outer petals 3, 19-37 mm long, 2.7-3.2 mm wide at base, linear, apex obtuse, base broad and concave, yellow-green and red at the base, sparsely pubescent outside, pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 11.4-29 mm long, 2.3-2.9 mm wide at base, linear and rigid, apex acute, base broad and concave, yellow-green and red at the base, pubescent outside, pubescent, base glabrous inside; stamens ca. 90, in 6 to 7 rows, 1 mm long, oblong; connective apex shield-like, glabrous; carpels 3 to 4, ovary 1 mm long, stigmas loosely connivent with tips free, linear, 2.5-4.4 mm long, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipe ca. 4 mm long, 3-4 mm in diameter; monocarps 2 to 4, 19-34 mm long, 12-15 mm wide, oblongoid, apex obtuse, glabrous, weakly torulose, verrucose and longitudinally wrinkled when dried, green outside, endocarp red; seeds 1 to 5 per monocarp, in a single or two irregular rows, 9-11 mm long, 7-8 mm wide, ellipsoid; sarcotesta gray or light green in vivo; aril absent.

Distribution.

From north-central Nigeria to southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and south to northeastern Zambia; in Cameroon known from a single collection in the Central region.

Habitat.

A very rare species in Cameroon, not re-collected since 1962; in riparian inundated habitats and swamp forests (the collection from Cameroon was made along the Nyong). Altitude 470 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) ( Harvey-Brown 2019k).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

In its exceedingly narrow petals and long stigmas Xylopia katangensis is most similar to X. longipetala , but has proportionately longer petioles, more flowers per inflorescence, and petals that are more rigid and narrower at the base.

Specimen examined.

Central Region: Près de Mbeuga (entre Ayos et Akonolinga), 3.9°N, 12.52°E, 08 March 1962, Letouzey R. 4498 (P,YA).

Figures

Map 18. A Xylopia katangensis B Xylopia letestui C Xylopia longipetala D Xylopia mildbraedii E Xylopia monticola F Xylopia paniculata G Xylopia phloiodora H Xylopia pynaertii I Xylopia quintasii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).