Xylopia cupularis Mildbr., Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 8: 56, 1921

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 : 454-457

Xylopia cupularis Mildbr., Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 8: 56, 1921

Fig. 143 ; Map 17F

= Xylopia gilviflora Exell, J. Bot. 73 (Suppl. 1): 4, 1935. Type. Angola. Cabinda, Buco Zau, Mayumbe, Gossweiler J. 6933, 15 Jan 1917: holotype: BM; isotypes: B[100153140]; COI[00004882]; LISC[LISC000308, LISC000309, LISC000310, LISC000311, LISC000312, LISC000313, LISC000314, LISC000315, LISC000316].

= Xylopia chrysophylla Louis ex Boutique, Bull. Jard. Bot. État 21: 108, 1951. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tshopo, Yangambi, Louis J. 4309, Jun 1937: holotype: BR[BR0000024941518]; isotypes: BR[0000008824752]; MO[1639095, 3007016]; NY[00066781]; US[2091336].

Type.

Cameroon. East Region; Deng-Deng, Mildbraed G.W.J. 8649, Mar 1914: holotype B[B 10 0153141]; isotype: BM[fragment] .

Description.

Tree, up to 35 m tall, d.b.h. up to 50 cm; buttresses present, small. Old branches glabrous, young branches glabrous to pubescent, with fine appressed hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long. Leaves: petiole 2-5 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, sparsely pubescent, slightly grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 4.6-7.8 cm long, 1.3-2.4 cm wide, lanceolate to elliptic or elliptic-oblong, apex acuminate, acumen 0.6-1.1 cm long, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, usually asymmetrical, papyraceous, below sparsely to densely golden-sericeous (appressed) when young, sparsely pubescent to densely pubescent when old, above glabrous when young and old, concolorous; midrib slightly raised, above glabrous to sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 10 to 15 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, axillary, peduncle rarely present, up to ca. 4 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 3 per inflorescence; pedicel 5-12 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent; in fruit 6-15 mm long, 3-10 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 2, towards the middle of pedicel, ca. 2 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, 1/2-3/4 fused, forming a cup, 2-3 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, broadly ovate, apex acute to obtuse, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free, subequal; outer petals 3, 15.5-36 mm long, 2.2-3.4 mm wide at base, linear to linear-lanceolate, apex acute, base broad and concave, yellow to cream, sericeous outside, pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 13.5-17.7 mm long, 2.4-3.5 mm wide at base, linear, apex acute, base broad and concave, yellow to cream, pubescent with glabrous base on both surfaces; stamens 160 to 200, in 5 to 6 rows, 1-2 mm long, oblong; connective apex shield-like, glabrous; carpels 12 to 20, ovary ca. 1 mm long, 3.5-3.8 mm long, stigmas connivent, filiform, 2.5-2.8 mm long, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipe 5-24 mm long, 2-5 mm in diameter; monocarps 11 to 18, 23-54 mm long, 14-19 mm wide, obovoid to oblongoid, apex rounded, glabrous, verrucose and wrinkled when dried, reddish green outside, endocarp pink to dark red; seeds 6 to 8 per monocarp, in two rows, 10-13 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, ellipsoid; sarcotesta glaucous blue or gray; aril absent.

Distribution.

A widespread species across Central Africa, from southeastern Nigeria to northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and south to Angola; in Cameroon known from the East, South, Littoral and South-West regions.

Habitat.

An uncommon species in lowland rain forest, semi-deciduous forest, forest-savanna edges, and secondary forest. Altitude 50-800 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

odjobi ( Yaoundé, Mbarga 1940).

IUCN conservation status.

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

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Xylopia cupularis is distinctive among African Xylopia species in its combination of small acuminate leaves, often asymmetrical at the base, with golden appressed pubescence below, relatively long pedicels, sepals fused into a cup-shaped calyx, and the numerous monocarps, which are usually distinctly stipitate. It is often a large tree, and thus may be infrequently collected.

Specimens examined.

East Region: IK 30 Road Mintom 1 (70 km E de Djoum)- Alati (100 km SE de Djoum), 2.83°N, 13.35°E, 08 January 1973, Letouzey R. 11801 (P,WAG); 21 km ENE of Moloundou-Nguilili Chantier, 2.05°N, 15.17°E, 10 March 1975, Mbenkum T.F. 310 (P,YA); Deng Deng, 5.2°N, 13.52°E, 01 March 1914, Mildbraed G.W.J. 8649 (B). Littoral Region : 6 km NE of Dibombe a village on km 11 of Loum-Yabassi road, 4.68°N, 9.816°E, 26 May 1972, Leeuwenberg A.J.M. 9915 (WAG,YA); Douala (route Razel), 4.02°N, 9.71°E, Mbarga A. 58 (P,YA). South Region : 30 km east from Lele village , 2.27°N, 13.29°E, 09 September 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 485 (WAG,YA). South-West Region: Likomba-Pflanzung 15-35 km NE von Victoria [Limbe], 4.09°N, 9.33°E, 01 November 1928, Mildbraed G.W.J. 10629 (A,K); Mount Mabeta peninsula Mabeta, 3.98°N, 9.233°E, 19 October 1997, Tchouto Mbatchou G.P. 1756 (MO) .

Figures

Map 17. A Uvariopsis zenkeri B Xylopia aethiopica C Xylopia africana D Xylopia aurantiiodora E Xylopia calva F Xylopia cupularis G Xylopia elliotii H Xylopia gilbertii I Xylopia hypolampra. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 143. Xylopia cupularis A base of trunk B fruiting branch C leaf, lower side D base of leaf blade, upper side E fruit, one monocarp open, note bright white sarcotesta and red inner surface of monocarp F mature fruit, monocarps opening longitudinally G detail of opened monocarp showing seeds covered with a white sarcotesta nested in a red inner monocarp pulp A-G Couvreur 485, Lele, Cameroon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.