Uvariopsis korupensis Gereau & Kenfack, Adansonia ser . 3, 22(1): 41, 2000

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 : 424-427

Uvariopsis korupensis Gereau & Kenfack, Adansonia ser. 3, 22(1): 41, 2000

Figs 134 , 135 ; Map 16E

Type.

Cameroon. South Region; Korup National Park, Chimpanzee Camp , 5°04'N, 8°52'E, Kenfack D. 1026, 3 Fev 1998: holotype: YA; isotypes: MO[MO-022919]; P[P01817719]; WAG[WAG0358388] .

Description.

Tree to shrub, 6-15 m tall, d.b.h. 12-14 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches glabrous to pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-7 mm long, 2-6 mm in diameter, glabrous to pubescent, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 30-61.5 cm long, 5.9-16.5 cm wide, elliptic to obovate, apex abruptly acuminate, acumen 1.8-3.2 cm long, base rounded to cordate, coriaceous, 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 10 to 26 pairs per side, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals unisexual, monoecious; inflorescences cauliflorous, towards base and up to 3 m on trunk. Flowers with 6 perianth parts in 2 whorls, ovoid to conical in bud, 2 to 3 per inflorescence, male and female inflorescences dimorphic; male pedicels 6-35 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, tomentose; female pedicels 16-50 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, tomentose; in fruit 45-90 mm long, 2 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 2 to 4, all basal, 1-2 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; male sepals 2, valvate, basally fused, 2-7.5 mm long, 3-6.5 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, greenish, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; female sepals 2, valvate, basally fused, 1.5-5 mm long, 1.5-5 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, greenish, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; male petals 4, basally fused, tube 1-2 mm long, 10-38 mm long, 5-10 mm wide, elliptic to ovate, apex acute to attenuate, base truncate, greenish-yellow, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; female petals 4, basally fused, tube 3-5 mm long, 15-35 mm long, 8-12 mm wide, elliptic, apex acute to attenuate, base truncate, greenish-yellow, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; male flowers: stamens 130 to 210, in 9 to 12 rows, 0.5-1 mm long, oblong; connective reduced or absent, glabrous, cream; staminodes absent; female flowers: carpels free, 25 to 40, ovary 3-4 mm long, stigma flat, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 2-5 mm long, 2 mm in diameter; monocarps 5 to 9, 30-60 mm long, 18-30 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to cylindrical, apex rounded, glabrous, smooth, clear orang yellow when ripe; seeds 8 to 14 per monocarp, 10-22 mm long, 5-14 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to oblong; aril absent.

Distribution.

endemic to Cameroon; known from the South, South-West and Littoral regions.

Habitat.

In primary or old secondary lowland rain forests. Altitude 100-700 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) ( Cheek 2014c).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Uvariopsis korupensis is distinguished by its conical flower buds with basally fused petals, and flowers not completely covering the lower part of the trunk; it closely resembles U. submontana (see that species for differences).

In the check list of Mt Cameroon ( Cable and Cheek 1998), one collection is identified as Uvariopsis sp. (Tchouto 675) which has now been identified as U. korupensis .

Specimens examined.

Littoral Region: Nkam Yingui Ekem River bank Forest , 4.35°N, 10.41°E, 05 March 2002, Kenfack D. 1620 (MO) . South Region: Campo-Ma’an area Bifa , 2.67°N, 10.28°E, 13 October 2001, Tchouto Mbatchou G.P. BIFAX_25 (WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 January 1911, Zenker G.A. 3971 (K) . South-West Region: ca 40 minutes walk N then E from Njonji Hunters path to Lake Njonji, 4.13°N, 8.993°E, 19 November 1993, Cheek M. 5486 (K,WAG,YA); Ekundu Kundu, 5.15°N, 8.883°E, 28 April 1996, Cheek M. 8258 (K,WAG,YA); Ekundu kundu, 5.15°N, 8.89°E, 09 January 1998, Cheek M. 8815 (K,YA); Mount Cameroon National Park Bakinguili trail above Bakinguili village , 4.09°N, 9.056°E, 02 April 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 1039 (WAG,YA); Mount Cameroon National Park on the Bomona trail behind Bomona village 10 km NW from Idenau, 4.29°N, 9.078°E, 03 April 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 1052 (WAG,YA); Korup National Park , 4.95°N, 8.87°E, 05 March 1993, Gereau R.E. 5192 (MO,P,WAG); Korup National Park , 5.06°N, 8.866°E, 03 February 1998, Kenfack D. 1026 (MO,P,WAG,YA); Bakingili, 4.08°N, 9.05°E, 16 February 1997, Nning J. 284 (K,YA); Bomana, 4.25°N, 9.016°E, 05 October 1993, Tchouto Mbatchou G.P. 675 (K,YA); Korup National Park , 5.05°N, 8.8°E, 28 April 1984, Thomas D.W. 3182 (L,P,YA); Korup National Park , 5.05°N, 8.8°E, 28 February 1984, Thomas D.W. 3210 (BR,YA); Mount Cameroun above small Koto village , 4.3°N, 9.1°E, 06 March 1985, Thomas D.W. 4477 (MO,YA) .

Figures

Map 16. A Uvariopsis conge nsis B Uvariopsis dicaprio C Uvariopsis dioica D Uvariopsis etugeana E Uvariopsis korupensis F Uvariopsis pedunculosa G Uvariopsis sessiliflora H Uvariopsis solheidii I Uvariopsis submontana. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 134. Uvariopsis korupensis A branch with leaves B female flower C female flower, three petals removed D detail of carpel E male flower and male flower bud F male flower, one petal removed G male flower, bottom view H petal of male flower, inner view I fruit, with a single monocarp J longitudinal section of monocarp A from Kenfack 1146 B-K from fresh material. Scale bars: 1 cm (A-C, E-K); 0.5 cm (D). Drawings by David Kenfack. Reproduced with permission from Gereau and Kenfack (2000, page 42).

Figure 135. Uvariopsis korupensis A trunk, note cluster of old flowers and fruits at base B leaves C base of leaf, lower side D base of leaf, upper side E old female flower on trunk F cluster of fruits at base of trunk. Uvariopsis solheidii G male flower and leaf base, lower side H male flowers, side view I detail of male flower A-F Couvreur 1052, Mt Cameroon, Cameroon G-I Couvreur 855, Gabon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.