Greenwayodendron suaveolens (Engl. & Diels) Verdc., Adansonia, n.s. 9: 90, 1969

Fig. 28, 29; Map 4D

≡ Polyalthia suaveolens Engl. & Diels, Monogr. Afr. Pfl. 6: 42., 1901.

= Polyalthia mortehanii De Wild., Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles, 4: 384., 1914. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kasaï-Oriental: Lekimi, De Giorgi S. 1576, Dec 1913: lectotype designated by Lissambou et al. (2018), p. 77: BR[BR8804408].

= Polyalthia aubrevillei Ghesquière ex Aubréville, Fl. For. Côte d’Ivoire, i. 114, 1936. Type. Cameroon. South Region: Bipindé, Urwaldgebiet, Zenker G. 1306, 1913: lectotype designated by Lissambou et al. (2018), p. 77: P[P01985238]; isolectotypes: L[L.1761577]; MO; P[P01985239]; WAG[WAG.1379971].

= Maba gossweileri Greves., J. Bot. 67 (Suppl. 2): 76., 1929. Type. Angola. Cabinda: Buco Zau - Maiombe, Gossweiler J. 6923, 8 Jan 1917: holotype BM[BM000547162]; COI[COI00004858].

= Xylopia otunga Exell., J. Bot. 69: 99, 1931. Type. Cameroon. Central: Bitye Yaoundé, Bates G.L. 1226, 1919: holotype: BM[BM000513697]; isotype LISC[LISC000385].

Type.

Gabon. Estuaire; Munda, Sibange Farm, Soyaux H. 218, 20 Feb 1881: holotype material presumably destroyed at B; lectotype, designated by Lissambou et al. 2018 (2018), p. 77: P[P00363356]; isolectotype K[K000580898] .

Description.

Tree, 8-45 m tall, d.b.h. 10-125 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches pubescent to sparsely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-8 mm long, 1-3 mm in diameter, pubescent to sparsely pubescent, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 5.1-15.6 cm long, 2-6.7 cm wide, elliptic to oblong, apex acuminate to caudate, acumen 0.6-1.4 cm long, base cuneate to rounded, papyraceous, below pubescent when young, glabrous to pubescent when old, above densely to sparsely pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent when old, concolorous; midrib impressed, above pubescent at least basely when young and old, below densely pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent to densely pubescent when old; secondary veins 5 to 18 pairs, glabrous below; tertiary venation indistinct. Individuals androdioecious; male and bisexual inflorescences similar, ramiflorous on old leafless and young foliate branches, leaf opposed or extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 4 per inflorescence, pedicel 3-6 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 6-12 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 2, one basal and one upper towards the upper half of pedicel, basal bracts 1-2 mm long, 2 mm wide; upper bracts 1-3 mm long, 1-3 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused to free, 2-4 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, ovate, apex acuminate, base truncate, green, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, sub equal; outer petals 3, 8-18 mm long, 1.3-2.6 mm wide, oblong-elliptic to ovate, apex acuminate, base rounded, green to light yellow, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 8-18 mm long, 1.3-2.6 mm wide, elliptic to ovate, apex acuminate, base rounded, green to light yellow, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens 16 to 25, in 4 to 5 rows, 1-2 mm long, elongated; connective tongue-shaped, glabrous, green; staminodes absent; carpels free, 12 to 20, ovary 1-2 mm long, stigma ovoid, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 5-10 mm long, 1-3 mm in diameter; monocarps 2 to 8, 8-18 mm long, 7-16 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to globose, apex rounded, glabrous, smooth, green turning wine red when ripe; seeds 1 to 4 per monocarp, 3-11 mm long, 3-11 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to flattened ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

Known from Nigeria to the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo; in Cameroon known from the East, South, Central, Littoral and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A very common species across the forest zone of Cameroon (growing in sympatry with G. glabrum in the south) with a wide ecologically amplitude; in lowland premontane, and sometimes in montane non-inundated primary or secondary forests. Altitude 20-1600 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

Moabé noir (dial. Nzime), Otunga (dial. Fang), Otungui (dial. Ewondo), Ntoulen (dial. Bassa), Botounga, Botunga (dial. Baka).

IUCN conservation status.

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

Uses in Cameroon.

medicine: leaves as pain-killers, against arthritis, rheumatism, fabrifuges, for menstrual cycle; bark for pregnancy, antiaborifacients, root for vermifuges, as genital stimulants/depressants, dropsy, swellings, oede gout; constructions: building materials; dyes and tannins: glycosides, saponims, steroids; products: fibre wood, farming, forestry, hunting and fishing apparatus.

Notes.

See under G. glabrum . The species is here treated in the narrow sense; the former varieties Greenwayodendron gabonicum Le Thomas and Greenwayodendron usambaricum Verdc. (not recorded from Cameroon) are now raised to specific rank, as G. gabonicum (Le Thomas) Lissambou & Couvreur and G. usambaricum (Verdc.) Lissambou, Hardy & Couvreur (Lissambou et al. 2019).

Selected specimens examined.

Central Region: Ndanan 1, 3.62°N, 11.58°E, 21 October 2002, Cheek M. 11224 (K,YA); Mefou National Park, 3.61°N, 11.58°E, 13 March 2004, Cheek M. 27 (YA); Mefou National Park, 3.61°N, 11.58°E, 13 March 2004, Cheek M. 66 (YA); Ca 50 km S of Badjob ca 60 km SW Of Eséka Along the Njong-River, 3.68°N, 10.68°E, 19 March 1964, de Wilde W.J.J.O 2133 (B,BR,K,MO,P,WAG,YA); Yaoundé, 3.87°N, 11.52°E, 01 January 1935, Foury P. 129 (P); Ngoro, 5.06°N, 11.19°E, 29 April 2017, Kamdem N. 510 (YA); AYOS, 3.98°N, 12.36°E, 17 June 2017, Kamdem N. 560 (YA); Ossoéssam (Mbalmayo), 3.52°N, 11.5°E, 01 June 1965, Leeuwenberg A.J.M. 5755 (BR,K,P,WAG). East Region: Palisco forest consession 15 km along main road into consession, 3.48°N, 13.59°E, 27 March 2015, Couvreur T.L.P. 756 (WAG,YA); Deng Deng, 5.20°N, 13.13°E, 27 July 2014, Kamdem N. 166 (YA); Mindourou Alpicam, 4.12°N, 14.54°E, 11 December 2016, Kamdem N. 459 (YA); Colline à l’ENE de Mbalam (140 km ESE de Djoum près de Souanke-Congo, 2.22°N, 13.82°E, 20 January 1973, Letouzey R. 11866 (YA); A 6 km au Nord de Mwapak (km 43 piste Yokadouma-Lomié, 3.54°N, 14.71°E, 22 June 1963, Letouzey R. 5322 (YA). Littoral Region: Mapubi 30 km before Edea on Yaounde-Edea road On forestry road 5 km direction to Sanaga river, 3.84°N, 10.38°E, 28 February 2018, Couvreur T.L.P. 1180 (WAG,YA); Mambe Massif above Boga village 100 km along road from Yaoundé to Ed 3.90°N, 10.77°E, 20 June 2014, Couvreur T.L.P. 658 (WAG,YA); Olombé, 3.60°N, 9.959°E, 05 November 2014, Kamdem N. 175 (YA); Chantier Bakaka km 4 Eboné-EkoMtolo road ( Eboné situated on km 11 of Nkongsamba-Loum road), 4.83°N, 9.9°E, 20 August 1971, Leeuwenberg A.J.M. 8164 (BR,K,L,MO,P,U,WAG,YA). South Region: 20 km from Kribi Lolodorf road, 3.03°N, 10.05°E, 09 June 1969, Bos J.J. 4769 (B,BR,K,LD,LM,MO,P,POZG,WAG,YA); Mt Elephant ca 18 km SE of Kribi, 2.81°N, 10.01°E, 08 January 1970, Bos J.J. 6100 (BR,C,K,LD,P,WAG,YA); hill above Nlonacko near village Ebianemeyong, 2.43°N, 10.35°E, 12 December 1998, de Wilde J.J.F. E 12163 (BR,KRIBI,MO,S,WAG); 16 km on the recently reconstructed road from Ebolowa to Minkok, 2.75°N, 11.25°E, 30 January 1975, de Wilde J.J.F.E 7940 (BR,K,MO,P,U,WAG,YA); Massif de Ngovayang village de Atog Boga, 3.25°N, 10.49°E, 30 August 2015, Droissart V. 2050 (BRLU); Massif de Ngovayang village de Atog Boga, 3.25°N, 10.49°E, 05 September 2015, Droissart V. 2159 (BRLU); A 13 km au N-NW de Djoum (UFA 09-007) vers "la tache verte" Forêt dense inondée et forêt secondaire, 2.77°N, 12.74°E, 25 April 2011, Droissart V. 834 (BRLU); Ebom, 3.1°N, 10.73°E, 20 February 1996, Elad M. 443 (KRIBI,WAG); Campo, 2.28°N, 9.950°E, 05 July 2015, Kamdem N. 329 (YA); Campo, 2.39°N, 10.02°E, 07 July 2015, Kamdem N. 349 (YA); Ma’an, 2.50°N, 10.76°E, 11 July 2015, Kamdem N. 397 (YA); Essam (Nanga Eboko), 4.68°N, 12.37°E, 13 February 1959, Letouzey R. 1106 (P); Essam (Nanga Eboko), 4.68°N, 12.37°E, 13 February 1959, Letouzey R. 1313 (P); 10 km environ à l’ESE de Campo à Kribi, 2.37°N, 9.82°E, 26 March 1968, Letouzey R. 9198 (YA); Campo-Ma’an National Park, 2.38°N, 10.06°E, 01 July 2001, van Andel T.R. 3794 (KRIBI,WAG,YA); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 1897, Zenker G.A. 1278 (L,P,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 1899, Zenker G.A. 2062 (L,P,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1900, Zenker G.A. 2166 (L,P,WAG). South-West Region: Bayang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary after Mbu river, 5.35°N, 9.501°E, 25 March 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 1002 (WAG,YA); Mokoko Forest Reserve Boa/Likinge (Bousa forest), 4.42°N, 8.972°E, 05 June 1994, Ekema S.N. 1208 (K,YA); Nguti, 5.34°N, 9.496°E, 03 June 2017, Kamdem N. 537 (YA).