Xylopia L., Systema Naturae ed. 10, 2: 1250, 1759

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 : 441-442

Xylopia L., Systema Naturae ed. 10, 2: 1250, 1759

= Xylopicrum P. Browne; Hist. Jamaic. 250-251 + t. 5, fig. 2, 1756; Xylopicron , orth. mut., Adanson; Fam. 2: 365, 1763; Unona Linnaeus f., Suppl. pl. 270. Apr 1782; Bulliarda Necker, Elem. bot. 2: 321. 1790, nom. superfl., non Candolle, 1801; Krockeria Necker, Elem. bot. 2: 317-318. 1790; Coelocline A. de Candolle, Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 5: 208-209. 1832; Habzelia Hook. f. & Thomson, Fl. Ind. 123. 1855, non A. DC.; Parartabotrys Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind., Eerste Bijv. 3: 374. 1861 ['1860 ‘1860’]; Pseudanona (Baillon) Safford, J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 3: 17. 1913, as " Pseudannona ."

Description.

Trees or shrubs, 2-50 m tall, d.b.h. up to 90 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent or present. Indumentum of simple hairs. Leaves: petiole 1-12 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; blade 3.6-21.3 cm long, 1.2-8.4 cm wide, lanceolate, ovate, elliptic, obovate, oblong, or oblanceolate, apex acuminate or acute or obtuse or cuspidate, acumen 0.2-2.1 cm long, base rounded, cordate, cuneate, obtuse, or truncate; midrib sunken or flat above, rarely slightly raised; secondary veins 7 to 20 pairs; tertiary venation reticulate. Inflorescences axillary, plants ramiflorous on young foliate or older leafless branches, rarely cauliflorous, 1-32-flowered; pedicel 1-12 mm long; in fruit 1-30 mm long; bracts 1-6, basal or inserted along the pedicel. Flowers bisexual with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls; sepals 3, valvate, free or basally fused, 1-7 mm long, apex acute or acuminate or rounded or apiculate, base truncate; petals free, outer petals longer than inner; outer petals 3, 5.8-64 mm long, 1.2-6 mm wide, linear, lanceolate, ligulate-lanceolate, or ovate, apex acute, rounded, or obtuse, base broad and concave; inner petals 3, valvate, 3.5-48 mm long, 1-5.4 mm wide, linear, ovate, oblong, rhombic, or lanceolate, apex acute, obtuse, or acuminate, base broad and concave,; stamens 40-300, 1-2 mm long, oblong or clavate; connective apex capitate, shieldlike, or conical, filaments connate at base to form a cone surrounding the carpels, or staminal cone absent; staminodes present, in one outer and one inner whorl, the inner whorl absent in X. aurantiiodora , X. mildbraedii , and X. quintasii ; carpels free, 3 to 50, 1-3 mm long, stigma filiform, cylindrical, oblong, linear-falcate or ellipsoid. Monocarps dehiscent, stipitate, subsessile, or sessile; monocarps 1 to 36, 19-98 mm long, 6-40 mm wide, narrowly oblong to oblong, sometimes falciform, torulose, or moniliform, apex acute, rounded or mucronate; seeds 5-22 mm long, 3-17 mm wide, ellipsoid to oblong, somewhat flattened, seed coat with a fleshy outer layer (sarcotesta) and hard inner layer, or sarcotesta absent; aril absent or present.

Type species.

Xylopia muricata L. (a West Indian species).

A genus of nearly 200 species trees and shrubs, the genus with a pantropical distribution. In Cameroon there are 22 species, comprising over 13% of the Annonaceae flora for the country, but no species is endemic to the country. The dehiscent monocarps of Xylopia are unique among the Annonaceae genera found in Cameroon.

Xylopia flamignii Boutique was reported for Cameroon by Onana (2013), but the voucher specimen (Harris 3680B) has been re-identified as X. cupularis . Xylopia flamignii reaches its northern limit in southeastern Gabon and central Republic of the Congo ( Johnson and Murray 2018).

Taxonomy.

Johnson and Murray (2018).