Xylopia africana Oliv., Fl. Trop. Afr. 1: 30, 1868

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 : 450-451

Xylopia africana Oliv., Fl. Trop. Afr. 1: 30, 1868

Fig. 142 ; Map 17C

≡ Melodorum africanum Benth., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 23(3): 477, 1862; Xylopicrum africanum (Bentham) Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 1: 8, 1891. Fissistigma africanum (Bentham) Merrill, Philipp. J. Sci. 15: 130, 1919.

Type.

Cameroon. South-West Region; Mount Cameroon, Mann G. 1193, Feb 1862: lectotype, designated by Johnson and Murray (2018), p. 42: K[K000105591]; isolectotypes: GH; K[K000105592]; P[P00169118]; U[U0095511] .

Description.

Tree, up to 20 m tall, d.b.h. up to 30 cm; stilt roots present, to 2 m above the base. Old branches glabrous, brown, young branches pubescent, with appressed hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long. Leaves: petiole 6-9 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, pubescent to glabrous, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 6.3-15.4 cm long, 2.9-7.9 cm wide, oblong to obovate, sometimes elliptic, apex acuminate to cuspidate, acumen 0.2-1.0 cm long, base cuneate and decurrent, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, below pubescent when young, glabrous when old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous, much paler below; midrib flat to sunken, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous to sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous to sparsely pubescent when old; secondary veins 10 to 13 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, axillary, peduncle not visible. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 2 per inflorescence; pedicel 6-11 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 10-18 mm long, 4-5 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 2, towards the middle of pedicel, 1-3 mm long, 1-3 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 5-7 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, triangular to ovate, apex acute, base truncate, green, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free; outer petals 3, 8.2-9.5 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide at base, ovate, apex acute to rounded, base truncate, yellow, minutely pubescent outside, minutely pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 5.9-8.3 mm long, 1-2.6 mm wide at base, elliptic to rhombic, apex acuminate to acute, base truncate, yellow, pubescent, nearly glabrous outside, minutely pubescent inside; stamens 100 to 120, in 7 to 8 rows, 2-3 mm long, clavate to oblong; connective apex shield-like, pubescent, cream; carpels 9 to 15, ovary 2 mm long, stigmas connivent, linear, 3.2-4.6 mm long, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipe 10-18 mm long, 3-5 mm in diameter; monocarps 1 to 10, 66-100 mm long, 10-14 mm wide, narrowly oblong to cylindrical, somewhat falciform and torulose, apex with a beak 1-1.5 mm long, glabrous, verrucose and longitudinally wrinkled when dried, smooth when fresh, reddish to purplish green outside, endocarp red; seeds 1 to 5 per monocarp, in a single row, 13-15 mm long, 9-11 mm wide, ellipsoid; sarcotesta absent; aril brushlike, unlobed, blood-red.

Distribution.

Eastern Nigeria and Cameroon, also on the Islands of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea) and São Tomé ( São Tomé & Principe); in Cameroon known from Central, South-West, Northwest and West regions.

Habitat.

A fairly common species, in montane and submontane mossy forests, on non-inundated soils. Altitude 900-2000 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

Focho et al. (2010) reported the name "hweneta (Ghana)" being used for this species in the Mt. Cameroon area.

IUCN conservation status.

Vulnerable (VU) ( Cheek 2014f).

Uses in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Notes.

Xylopia africana resembles X. staudtii in the short ovate petals (<10 mm long), shape of the fruit, and brushlike arils; both have stilt roots at the base of the trunk. However, X. africana is mainly a montane (> 900 m) species and is a smaller tree with the arils on the seeds blood-red rather than bright yellow to orange as in X. staudtii . The montane habitat is rare among African Xylopia species.

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Chaîne de Nkohom à 42 km SSW de Ndiki, 4.77°N, 10.83°E, 14 November 1983, Nkongmeneck B.A. 580 (P). North-West Region: High ridge on boundary of Bali-Ngemba, 5.80°N, 10.09°E, 14 November 2000, Cheek M. 10527 (K,MO,P,WAG,YA); Gazette Bali Ngemba F R, 5.81°N, 10.08°E, 05 October 2001, Onana J.M. 1825 (K); Gazette Bali Ngemba F R, 5.81°N, 10.08°E, 05 October 2001, Onana J.M. 1835 (K). South-West Region: Nyasoso, 4.86°N, 9.7°E, 04 June 1996, Cable S. 2870 (K,YA); Kupe village, 4.78°N, 9.716°E, 15 July 1996, Cable S. 3814 (K,YA); Mungo River F.R., 4.78°N, 9.607°E, 30 November 1999, Cheek M. 10203 (K); Peak 1, 4.80°N, 9.708°E, 01 November 1995, Cheek M. 7605 (K,YA); Kodmin Mt above the village, 4.99°N, 9.701°E, 13 February 1998, Cheek M. 9192 (K,P,WAG,YA); Rumpi mountains forest trail ca 5 km after Dikome Balue village ca 40 km north of Kumba, 4.93°N, 9.242°E, 10 January 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 949 (WAG,YA); Rumpi mountains forest trail ca 5 km after Dikome Balue village ca 40 km north of Kumba, 4.93°N, 9.225°E, 11 January 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 967 (WAG,YA); slopes of Mount Cameroon on the Bokwango trail near Bokwango village 4 km south west of Buea, 4.12°N, 9.183°E, 23 March 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 993 (WAG,YA); Buea, 4.15°N, 9.24°E, 01 January 1904, Deistel H. 454 (U); Below Kupe rock near Esense river, 4.78°N, 9.683°E, 25 January 1995, Elad M. 90 (K,YA); Likombe, 4.21°N, 9.166°E, 22 February 1995, Etuge M. 1160 (K,YA); Kupe village, 4.78°N, 9.7°E, 08 November 1995, Etuge M. 1441 (K,WAG,YA); Nyasoso, 4.81°N, 9.716°E, 27 February 1996, Etuge M. 1740 (K,WAG,YA); 5 km west of village spring in Kodmin, 4.98°N, 9.7°E, 22 January 1998, Gosline W.G. 75 (K,WAG,YA); Monts Rumpi-Rata Mount (1788 m) 2 km au SW de Dikome Balue, 4.89°N, 9.23°E, 24 March 1976, Letouzey R. 14551 (P,YA); Buea, 4.15°N, 9.233°E, 01 January 1929, Maitland T.D. 233 (K); Cameroon Mountain, Buea area, 4.15°N, 9.233°E, 01 January 1930, Maitland T.D. s.n. (K[K000105602]); Cameroon Mountain, 4.2°N, 9.183°E, Feburary 1862, Mann G. 1193 (K); southern slope of Mount Cameroon above Batoke, 4.13°N, 9.08°E, 09 January 1984, Thomas D.W. 2981 (K,MO); Forest in the Rumpi Hills near Dikome Balue, 4.90°N, 9.253°E, 01 March 1984, Thomas D.W. 3305 (K,MO,P,WAG,YA); Aguosho 10 km SSW of Akwaya, 6.3°N, 9.466°E, 19 March 1985, Thomas D.W. 4554 (YA); Limbe District Fako Division Mt Etinde N face of N ridge, 4.07°N, 9.11°E, 24 October 1992, Wheatley J.I. 605 (K,P). West Region: Banna, 5.15°N, 10.27°E, 01 January 1904, Deistel H. 151 (A,BM,P); Route Batcha-Batchingou (22 km ESE Bafang), 5.15°N, 10.18°E, 23 November 1974, Letouzey R. 13300 (P,YA).

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 142. Xylopia aethiopica A base of trunk, note buttresses B leaf, lower side C leaf, upper side D monocarp longitudinally opening, note yellow aril E flowers, side view F flower with one outer petal removed, showing the base of inner petals G immature fruit. Xylopia africana H base of trunk, note the presence of stilt roots I base of leaf blade, upper side J base of leaf blade, lower side K monocarp, longitudinally splitting, note red aril L flowers M flower, side view, one outer petal removed N fruit, side view, one monocarp opened revealing seed with red aril A, D, G Couvreur 1223, Masea, Cameroon B Couvreur 471, Lele, Cameroon C, E, F Couvreur 543, Gabon H-J, M Couvreur 949 K Couvreur 967, Rumpi Mt, Cameroon L-N Couvreur 993, Mt Cameroon, Cameroon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.