Polyceratocarpus microtrichus (Engl. & Diels) Ghesq. Ex Pellegr., Bull. Soc. Bot. France Mem : 68, 1950

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 : 311-313

Polyceratocarpus microtrichus (Engl. & Diels) Ghesq. Ex Pellegr., Bull. Soc. Bot. France Mem: 68, 1950

Figs 95 , 96 ; Map 12C

≡ Uvaria microtricha Engl. & Diels, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 39: 473, 1907.

Type.

Cameroon. South Region; Bipindi, Zenker G.A. 2899, Mar 1904: holotype: B[B 10 0154089]; isotypes: BR[BR0000008804808]; K[K000199038]; M[M0107917]; P[P00363351]; S[S07-13391] .

Description.

Tree, up to 8 m tall, d.b.h. up to 10 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches pubescent. Leaves: petiole 5-8 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to glabrous, slightly grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 14-34 cm long, 3.5-8 cm wide, oblong to elliptic, apex acuminate to acute, acumen 0.5-1 cm long, base acute, coriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent to glabrous when old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib sunken or flat, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young and old; secondary veins 9 to 15 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation intermediate. Individuals unisexual (?, only male flowers and fruits seen), inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate or old leafless branches, axillary; flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 2 to 4 per inflorescence; male flowers: pedicel 6-8 mm long, 3-4 mm in diameter, tomentose; bract 2-3 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally or entirely fused, cup shaped, ca. 4 mm long, 7-8 mm wide, triangular to ovate, apex acute, base truncate, tomentose outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, subequal; outer petals 3, 10-14 mm long, 6-9 mm wide, oblong to elliptic, apex acute, base truncate, margins flat, densely pubescent outside, pubescent but glabrous towards the base inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 10-14 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, obovate to oblong, apex acute, base truncate, margins flat, tomentose outside, pubescent inside; stamens 90 to 110, in 7 to 10 rows, 2-3 mm long, linear to clavate; connective discoid, glabrous; staminodes absent; female flowers only seen in fruit; fruiting pedicel 10-20 mm long, glabrous. Monocarps sessile, 2 to 5, 20-30 mm long, 15-25 mm in diameter, obovoid, apex rounded, glabrous, smooth, slightly bumpy when dry, not ribbed, white when ripe; seeds 10 to 14 per monocarp, 5-10 mm long, 3-4 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

From Cameroon to Gabon, in Cameroon known from the South and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A rare species in Cameroon; in premontane primary rain forests. Altitude: 100-700 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Not evaluated.

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

See under P. parviflorus .

The collection Watts 627 was suggested to be a new species ( Cable and Cheek 1998, p. 11) but having seen the specimen in K, we have identified it as P. microtrichus .

Specimens examined.

South Region: 20 km SE of Kribi route minière E of Mt Eléphant, 2.78°N, 10.03°E, 01 April 1970, Bos J.J. 6679 (WAG); ca 45 km from Kribi ca 8 km N of Lolodorf road Forest towards Lokoundje R, 3.1°N, 10.25°E, 02 April 1970, Bos J.J. 6684 (BR,K,LD,LM,MO,P,WAG,YA); Ngovayang, 3.25°N, 10.57°E, 08 June 2015, Droissart V. 1881 (MO); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1904, Zenker G.A. 2899 (BR,L,P,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1907, Zenker G.A. 3270 (L,P); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 December 1913, Zenker G.A. 478 (P,U,WAG). South-West Region : Mokoko Forest Reserve Dikome, 4.48°N, 9.033°E, 05 May 1994, Ekema S.N. 950 (K); Mokoko Forest Reserve ca 6 km W of Mundongo , 4.43°N, 9.083°E, 22 March 1993, Watts J. 627 (K) .

Figures

Map 12. A Piptostigma pilosum B Piptostigma submontanum C Polyceratocarpus microtrichus D Polyceratocarpus parviflorus E Polyceratocarpus pellegrinii F Sirdavidia solannona G Sphaerocoryne gracilipes H Toussaintia hallei I Uvaria afzelii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 95. Polyceratocarpus pellegrinii A flowering branch B detail of bisexual flower, 6 petals removed C stamen D carpel, side view, and detail of ovules E detail of male flower. Polyceratocarpus parviflorus F bisexual flower, 4 petals removed G outer petal, inside view H inner petal, inside view I stamen J carpel, side view, detail of ovules K fruiting branch. Polyceratocarpus microtrichus L flowering branch M bisexual flower, 4 petals removed N stamen, side and from view A-E from Le Testu 7754 F-J from Le Testu 8549 K from Chevalier 21343 L-N from Halle 2279. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b, pl. 49, p. 279).

Figure 96. Polyceratocarpus microtrichus A leaf, upper side B leaf, lower side C fruits, note white smooth monocarps. Polyceratocarpus parviflorus D detail of bisexual flower showing receptacle, one outer petals and two inner petals removed E habit F flower, top view G fruits, note ribbed monocarps. Polyceratocarpus pellegrinii H fruit, note curved green and irregularly ribbed monocarps I base of trunk J leaf, lower side K base of leaf, upper side, note raised midrib L flower, top view A-C Droissart 1881 D-G Couvreur 1032 H, L Couvreur 575 I-K Couvreur 1178. Photos A-C Vincent Droissart D-L Thomas L. P. Couvreur.