Dennettia tripetala Baker f., Cat. Pl. Oban: 5, 1913

Fig. 24; Map 3G

≡ Uvariopsis tripetala (Baker f.) G.E.Schatz, Novon 13(4): 447, 2003.

Type.

Nigeria. Edo State; Benin City, Dennett R.E. 44, 1 Jan 1907: lectotype, designated by Kenfack et al. (2003), p. 447; sheet here designated: K[K000040959]; isolectotypes: K[K000040961]; S[S-G-9774] .

Description.

Shrub to small tree, 2-5 m tall, d.b.h. unknown; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-5 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 7.2-15.5 cm long, 3-6.8 cm wide, elliptic, apex attenuate to acuminate, acumen 0.6-1.3 cm long, base acute to decurrent, subcoriaceous, below glabrous when young and old, above glabrous when young and old; midrib sunken or flat, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young and old; secondary veins 5 to 10 pairs per side, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual, inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, axillary. Flowers with 6 perianth parts in 2 whorls, 1 to 4 per inflorescence; pedicel 4-9 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 5-15 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, glabrous to pubescent; bracts 1 to 3, all basal 0.5-2 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide; sepals 3 (rarely 2), valvate, basally fused, 1-3 mm long, 1.5-4 mm wide, triangular, apex acute, base truncate, brown, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals 3 (rarely 4, see notes), free, 7-14 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens ca. 150, in 10 to 20 rows, 0.5-1 mm long, oblong; connective reduced or absent, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 8 to 30, ovary ca. 2-4.5 mm long, stigma globose, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 1-3 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter; monocarps 1 to 8, 11-32 mm long, 5-15 mm in diameter, ovoid to oblong, apex rounded, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, verrucose, wrinkled; seeds 4 to 12 per monocarp, 4-10 mm long, 11-14 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

Mainly a West African species from Sierra Leone to Cameroon; in Cameroon known from the South-West region.

Habitat.

an uncommon species; in lowland to premontane primary or secondary rain forests. Altitude 0-1000 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

Bushpèpè (Westphal 9932, Pidgin English(?)); Pepperfruit (english)

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) (Harvey-Brown 2019f) (as Uvariopsis tripetala).

Uses in Cameroon.

food: fruit for sauces, condiments, spices, flavorings (pepper); medicine: cough, fever, toothache, diarrhea, diabetes, nausea (Iseghohi 2015).

Notes.

Dennettia tripetala is unique in Cameroonian by being a tree with bisexual flowers having three sepals and three petals. This species resembles Uvariopsis congensis and Uvariopsis zenkeri ( Uvariopsis being a genus were Dennettia was once part off, see above, Kenfack et al. (2003)) by the smaller dimensions of its leaves (7-18 cm long and 3-6 cm wide), and the small and short pedicellate (<1 cm) flowers. Dennettia tripetala, however, differs from these two species by its bisexual flowers, whereas all other species of Uvariopsis in Cameroon have unisexual flowers. Only one other species of Uvariopsis is bisexual ( U. bisexualis Verdc.) which occurs in East Africa (Verdcourt 1971a).

It has been reported that some D. tripetala specimens had 2 sepals and 4 petals (Kenfack et al. 2003), however, a recent morphological study did not find any evidence for that (Dagallier et al. in prep). However, we cannot exclude that it might be a rare event.

Specimens examined.

South-West Region: Missellele, 4.12°N, 9.448°E, Box H.E. 3556 (BM,K); Limbe (Victoria), 4.07°N, 9.189°E, 01 April 1929, Maitland T.D. 626 (K); Buea area 4.2°N, 9.183°E, 01 January 1930, Maitland T.D. s.n. (K[K000105532]); Likomba-Pflanzung 15-35 km NE von Victoria [Limbe], 4.1°N, 9.333°E, 18 October 1928, Mildbraed G.W.J. 10515 (K); Ngandjo on Kumba Mbonge road, 4.55°N, 9.4°E, 25 February 1986, Thomas D.W. 5661 (K); Market of Victoria, 4.01°N, 9.2°E, 04 April 1978, Westphal E. 9932 (WAG) .