Annickia letestui (Le Thomas) Setten & Maas, Taxon 39(4): 676, 1990

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 : 36-38

Annickia letestui (Le Thomas) Setten & Maas, Taxon 39(4): 676, 1990

Fig. 6 ; Map 1D

≡ Enantia letestui Le Thomas, Adansonia sér. 2, 2: 306, 1962.

Type.

Gabon. Ogooué-Lolo, Ikembélé, Le Testu G.M.P.C. 8432, Oct 1930: lectotype, here designated: P[P00267987]; isolectotypes: BM[BM000547036]; BR[BR0000006418700]; P[P00362651, P02005895, P02005896] .

Description.

Tree, 2-8 m tall, d.b.h. unknown; stilt roots or buttresses absent, slash yellow. Indumentum of simple, bifid, fasciculate or stellate hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches tomentose. Leaves: petiole 3-8 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, tomentose to sparsely pubescent, cylindrical, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 10-29.5 cm long, 3.5-10.5 cm wide, elliptic to obovate, apex acuminate to mucronate, acumen 1-2 cm long, base cuneate to rounded to acuminate, subcoriaceous, above glabrous when young and old, below pubescent when young and old, hairs simple, bifid and stellate pointing in all directions, concolorous; midrib sunken or flat, above glabrous when young and old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 9 to 13 pairs, glabrous below; tertiary venation intermediate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, leaf opposed or extra axillary. Flowers with 6 perianth parts in 2 whorls, 1 per inflorescence; pedicel 4-14 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent; in fruit ca. 10 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, pubescent; bracts 2, one basal and one upper towards the lower half of pedicel, basal bract 2-4 mm long, 2-3 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 5-9 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, triangular, apex acute, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free; outer petals absent; inner petals 3, valvate, 12-26 mm long, 7-12 mm wide, ovate to inversely Y-shaped ridged, apex acute, base broad and concave, yellow-green, margins flat, pubescent outside, pubescent towards margins inside; stamens 60 to 125, in 5 to 6 rows, ca. 2 mm long, linear; connective flattened, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 20 to 35, ovary ca. 3 mm long, stigma lobed, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 8-19 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter; monocarps 8 to 20, 19-25 mm long, 10-14 mm in diameter, ellipsoid, apex mucronate, glabrous, smooth, glossy, green turning red to black when ripe; seeds ca. 20 mm long, ca. 10 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

From Cameroon to Gabon, and one collection in northern Republic of Congo; in Cameroon known from the South region.

Habitat.

A rare species; in lowland rain forests, mainly in primary habitats. Altitude 300-700 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

M’Fo, Mofo, Mpuley (dial. Mab Kwasio, van Andel 4216); N’jie (Dials. Duala, Punu, Bos 4962).

IUCN conservation status.

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

Uses in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Notes.

Annickia letestui is characterized by having tomentose young foliate branches and petioles, the lower side of the leaf blades are pubescent with appressed or erect hairs that are simple, bifid, fasciculate or stellate, pointing in all directions. Versteegh and Sosef (2007) note that the indumentum is quite variable within this species, even within individuals, varying from short and appressed to erect and longer hairs.

Vernacular names are likely to apply to other species of the genus.

Specimens examined.

South Region: 15 km from Kribi Lolodorf road, 3.00°N, 10.02°E, 01 July 1969, Bos J.J. 4962 (MO,WAG); Mendoum, 2.22°N, 11.23°E, 13 February 1965, Raynal J. 13392 (P); Campo-Ma’an area Bifa, 2.67°N, 10.28°E, 13 October 2001, Tchouto Mbatchou G.P. BIFAX_150 (WAG); Campo-Ma’an area 2.73°N, 9.873°E, 16 August 2001, van Andel T.R. 3882 (WAG); Campo-Ma’an area near Boussebeliga creek bridge, 2.37°N, 9.822°E, 26 October 2001, van Andel T.R. 4216 (WAG) .

Figures

Map 1. A Afroguatteria discostigma B Annickia affinis C Annickia chlorantha D Annickia letestui E Annickia polycarpa F Annona senegalensis G Annona senegalensis subsp. oulotricha H Anonidium brieyi I Anonidium mannii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 6. Annickia letestui A flowering branch B detail of lower side of leaf blade C detail of stellate hair D flower bud E inner petal, inside view F stamen G carpel, whole and showing the single basal ovule A-G from Le Testu 8432. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b; pl. 56, p. 307, pro parte).