Monodora crispata Engl., Notizbl. Konigl . Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 301, 1899

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 : 250-251

Monodora crispata Engl., Notizbl. Konigl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 301, 1899

Fig. 74 ; Map 9I

= Monodora crispata var. klaineana Engl., Monogr. Afrik. Pflanzen.-Fam. 6: 90, 1901. Type. Gabon. Estuaire, Libreville, Klaine T.-J. 1435, 14 Jan 1899: lectotype, designated by Couvreur (2009), p. 206: P[P01985660].

Type.

Cameroon. South Region; 9 km N. of Kribi, Bos J.J. 6224, 2 Feb 1970: neotype, designated by Couvreur 2008, p. 206, sheet here designated: WAG[WAG0158468]; isotypes: BR[BR0000014056789]; C, K, LD, L MO, P, WAG[WAG0158469]; YA .

Description.

Tree or a more often a woody climber, lianescent, up to 20 m tall, d.b.h. 15-30 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs if present; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches glabrous. Leaves: petiole 3-7 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 5-17 cm long, 2.5-6 cm wide, elliptic to obovate, apex acuminate, acumen 0.3-1 cm long, base rounded, coriaceous to membranous, below glabrous when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, concolorous; midrib raised above, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young and old; secondary veins 9 to 13 pairs, glabrous below; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old or young foliate branches, leaf opposed or extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 per inflorescence; pedicel 20-50 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, glabrous; in fruit 30-50 mm long, 4-10 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 1, upper only, towards the upper half or middle of pedicel, 6-15 mm long, 5-9 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 5-18 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, green, glabrous outside, glabrous inside, margins wavy to crisped; petals basally fused, tube 2-3 mm long, inner and outer whorl differentiated, outer petals longer than inner; outer petals 3, 35-70 mm long, 6-20 mm wide, oblong, apex attenuate, base truncate, white or yellow at base and distally yellow with red-brown mottling, margins crisped, glabrous outside, glabrous inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 16-25 mm long, 6-20 mm wide, cordate to triangular, apex acute, base narrowed into a claw 3-8 mm long, white to yellow with red streaks towards margins, margins crisped, glabrous outside, sparsely pubescent inside; receptacle convex to flat; stamens numerous, in 9 to 11 rows, 1 mm long; connective discoid, glabrous, cream; staminodes absent; carpels fused into a single structure, ca. 2 mm long, stigma bilobed, slightly capitate, sparsely pubescent. Fruit syncarpous, 35-50 mm long, ca. 20 mm in diameter, long ellipsoid, apex acute, glabrous, 6-7 ribbed, otherwise smooth, green when ripe; seeds 10-13 mm long, 5-9 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A widespread species present in West and Central Africa, from Sierra Leone to Ghana, and from southeastern Nigeria to Gabon; in Cameroon known from South and South-West regions.

Habitat.

An uncommon species in Cameroon; in primary and secondary rain forests and along streams, generally on sandy soil. Altitude 0-400 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

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

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Monodora crispata is characterized by its generally lianescent habit resembling a woody climber growing on rocks or larger trees, the petals with very crispy margins, entirely glabrous branches and leaves, and ellipsoid and conspicuously 6-7-ribbed fruits.

Cheek and Cable (1998) mention from Mt Cameroon an Isolona sp. nov. (Watts 687, Wheatley 501), however these are now identified as Monodora crispata .

Specimens examined.

South Region: 9 km N of Kribi , 4.83°N, 9.99°E, 02 February 1970, Bos J.J. 6224 (BR,C,K,LD,MO,P,WAG,YA); Just E of Kribi Seca Regrowth veg On S bank of Kienke R, 3.1°N, 10.25°E, 20 August 1970, Bos J.J. 7199 (BR,P,WAG); bezirk Ebolowa Ekuk 22 km Ebolowa, 2.91°N, 11.31°E, 01 January 1911, Mildbraed G.W.J. 5650 (HBG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 January 1909, Zenker G.A. 3884 (B); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 January 1909, Zenker G.A. 3935 (BM,BR,G,K,L,MO,P,S). South-West Region : Versant extérieur SSE du cratère du lac Dissoni (=SODEN lac) 20 km WNW Kumba, 4.72°N, 9.270°E, 20 March 1976, Letouzey R. 14498 (K,MO,WAG,YA); Mt Bakingili-Nja Keta Path , 4.08°N, 9.05°E, 21 September 1992, Wheatley J.I. 501 (K,YA) .

Figures

Map 9. A Monanthotaxis sterilis B Monanthotaxis submontana C Monanthotaxis tripetala D Monanthotaxis vogelii E Monanthotaxis vulcanica F Monanthotaxis whytei G Monanthotaxis zenkeri H Monodora angolensis I Monodora crispata. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 74. Monodora angolensis A flower B outer petal C inner petal, inside view D fruit E leaf. Monodora crispata F flower G leaf H inner petal, inside view I fruit A-E from Halle 2628 F, H J. J. E. F. de Wilde 867 G, I from Klaine 720. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b, pl. 64, p. 347) F, H drawn by Hans de Vries (Couvreur 2009, fig. 49, p. 92).