Uvariopsis bisexualis Verdc., Kew Bull. 41(2): 289 (1986)

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 bisexualis Verdc., Kew Bull. 41(2): 289 (1986)

Figs 51 , 52

Type.

Tanzania - Iringa • J.C. Lovett 233 (holotype: K! (K000199040)) ; Iringa Rural District, Udzungwa Mts., Sanje ; 7°46'S, 36°54'E; alt. 1480 m; 02 Dec. 1983 .

Description.

Tree ca. 10 m tall, D.B.H unknown; young branches pubescent, old branches glabrous. Petiole 3.5-5 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Leaf lamina 135-152 mm long, 37-48 mm wide, length:width ratio ca. 3, elliptic to oblong, coriaceous, base decurrent, apex attenuate, surface above glabrous, surface below sparsely pubescent to glabrous when young, glabrous when old; midrib impressed above, raised below, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent to glabrous below; secondary veins ca. 12 pairs, weakly brochidodromous, impressed above, raised below; tertiary veins reticulate. Flowers bisexual. Flower buds ovoid to conical. Inflorescences borne on branches, composed of 1 flower. Peduncle inconspicuous. Flower pedicel 12-20 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, pubescent. Bracts 1 at base to towards the lower half of the pedicel, ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide. Sepals 2, 1.6-2.5 mm long, 2.2-2.5 mm wide, broadly ovate, free, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, color unknown. Petals 4, 12-14 mm long, 4-8 mm wide, length:width ratio 3-3.5, narrowly ovate, sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, cream outside, cream with red base inside. Stamens numerous (exact number unknown), 0.5-0.7 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide, anthers linear, connective prolongation truncate or absent. Carpels 3 to 6, 2-4 mm long, 1-1.4 mm wide, glabrate at base to glabrous, free, ovules 22-24 per ovary, biseriate. Fruits unknown.

Distribution.

Endemic to Somalia-Masai Region. Known from only one locality in Tanzania: Sanje in the Udzungwa mountains.

Habitat and ecology.

Montane rain forests. Altitude ca. 1480 m asl.

Phenology.

Flowers collected in December.

Notes.

This species resembles Up. congensis , Up. oligocarpa and Up. zenkeri in having elliptic leaves generally less than 16 cm long with decurrent base. It differs from all the other Uvariopsis in having bisexual flowers and less than 6 carpels (vs. more than 10 carpels) (Table 6 ).

Conservation status.

This species has been assessed as Endangered EN under criteria B1ab(iii) (Eastern Arc Mountains & Coastal Forests CEPF Plant Assessment Project 2009e). It is known from a single specimen collected more than 30 years ago in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Tanzania.

Figures

Figure 51. Uvariopsis bisexualis Verdc A flowering branch B flower bud, side view C sepal, outer view D flower, two petals removed, side view E detail of receptacle, some stamens fallen, side view F stamen, upper view G stamen, lower view H carpel, outer view J carpel, inner view K stigma L longitudinal section of carpel M transversal section of ovary. A-M from Lovett 233 (type). Drawings by Maureen Church, from Verdcourt (1986; fig. 3, p. 292), Kew Bulletin 1969 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Figure 52. Distribution map of Uvariopsis bisexualis. Shades of grey represent elevation, from white (sea level) to darker grey (higher elevation). The inset shows the extent of the map over Africa.