Monodora angolensis Welw., Apont. 587, 1859

Fig. 74; Map 9H

= Monodora angolensis var. decidua Hiern, Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. 1: 13, 1896. Type. Angola. Malanje, Golungo Alto, Welwitsch F.M.J. 776, Dec 1855: holotype: LISC; isotypes: B[B 10 0154049]; BM[BM000889328]; BR[BR0000008802026]; C[C10004780, C10004779]; COI[COI00077210]; G; K[K000198845, pro parte]; LISU[LISU206066, LISU206065]; P[P00363309].

= Monodora angolensis var. microphylla Hiern, Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. 1: 13, 1896. Type. Angola. Malanje, Pungo Andongo, Welwitsch F.M.J. 775, Jan 1857: holotype: BM; isotype: K[K000198845, pro parte].

= Monodora durieuxii De Wild., Études Fl. Bas-et Moyen-Congo 1: 122, 1903. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Equateur, Wangata, Dewèvre A.P. 613, 14 Jan 1896: lectotype, sheet here designated: BR[BR0000008802354]; isotypes: BR[BR0000008802682, BR0000008802743].

= Monodora letestui Pellegr., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 94: 386, 1947. Type. Gabon. Ogooué-Lolo, Lastoursville, Le Testu G.M.P.C. 7222, Apr 1929: lectotype, sheet here designated: P[P00363310]; isotypes: BM[BM000553855]; BR[BR0000008801692]; LBV n.v., LISC[LISC000382]; P[P00363311].

= Monodora louisii Boutique, Bull. Jard. Bot. État Brux. 21: 97, 1951. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Orientale, Yangambi, Louis J.L.P. 6612, 15 Nov 1937: lectotype, sheet here designated: BR[BR0000006246730]; isotypes: BM[BM000553857]; BR[BR0000006247065]; C[C10004782, C10004781]; K[K000199023 K000199024]; NY n.v., P[P00363257]; PRE[PRE0774858-0]; S[S10-21167].

Type.

Angola. Malanje; Pungo Andongo, Welwitsch F.M.J. 774, May 1855: holotype: LISC; isotypes: B[B 10 0190365]; BM[BM000553856]; COI[COI00077209]; G[G00011630]; K[K000198843, K000198844] .

Description.

Tree, 18-20 m tall, d.b.h. 10-25 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum absent; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches glabrous. Leaves: petiole 2-10 mm long, 1 mm in diameter, glabrous, weakly grooved adaxially, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 4-20 cm long, 2-7.5 cm wide, elliptic, apex acuminate, acumen 0.5-1 cm long, base cuneate to obtuse, coriaceous to papyraceous, below glabrous when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, concolorous; midrib raised above, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young and old; secondary veins 8 to 16 pairs, glabrous below; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old or young foliate branches, leaf opposed or extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 per inflorescence; pedicel 8-40 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, glabrous; in fruit 25-85 mm long, 5-7 mm in diameter, glabrous; bract 1, towards the upper half of pedicel, 4-17 mm long, 3-12 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 5-15 mm long, 2-6 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, green speckled with red and purple, glabrous outside, glabrous inside, margins undulate; petals basally fused, tube 2-3 mm long, inner and outer whorl differentiated, outer petals longer than inner; outer petals 3, 17-50 mm long, 10-30 mm wide, oblong-obovate, apex truncate, base truncate, red-brown with pale yellow spots towards the apex, margins wavy, glabrous outside, glabrous inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 4-11 mm long, 5-16 mm wide, cordate to rhombic, apex acuminate, base narrowed into a claw, claw 3.0-9 mm long, white tinged with yellow, minutely purple-mottled along margins, margins flat, glabrous outside, glabrous inside; receptacle convex to flat; stamens numerous, in 9 to 11 rows, 1 mm long, broad; connective discoid, glabrous, cream; staminodes absent; carpels fused into a single structure, 1-2 mm long, stigma bilobed, slightly capitate, glabrous. Fruit syncarpous, 35-80 mm long, 35-50 mm in diameter, globose to ovoid, apex apiculate, glabrous, rugose, bumpy, green to brown when ripe; seeds 9-13 mm long, 5-8 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A widespread species from eastern Nigeria to northern Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, western Tanzania and northern Zambia, with one collection from Ivory Coast; in Cameroon known from East, South, Central and Adamaoua regions.

Habitat.

Fairly uncommon in Cameroon; in primary, secondary, and montane rain forests, gallery forest, sometimes in dry forests. Altitude 0-1800 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) (Cosiaux et al. 2019y).

Notes.

Monodora angolensis is distinguished from other species by the combination of the following characters: entirely glabrous leaves and branches and clawed non undulated glabrous inner petals.

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Environs de Ndokalende 10 km SW de Ndikinimeki, 4.72°N, 10.78°E, 04 March 1984, Satabié B. 754 (P,WAG,YA). East Region: Molunda Sation Ngoko Nginda 21 km north of Molundu, 2.2°N, 15.2°E, 09 January 1911, Mildbraed G.W.J. 4199 (B,HBG). North Region: Tibati, 6.46°N, 12.63°E, 01 February 1909, Ledermann C.L. 2462 (B); km 10 Tibati-Mabouka road, 6.43°N, 12.7°E, 29 June 1972, Leeuwenberg A.J.M. 10034 (BR,K,MO,P,WAG,YA). South Region: 18 km east from Lélé village, 2.27°N, 13.32°E, 07 September 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 461 (WAG,YA); 26 km east from Lélé village, 2.28°N, 13.31°E, 08 September 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 477 (WAG,YA) .