Monanthotaxis foliosa (Engl. & Diels) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 21, 1971

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 : 201-205

Monanthotaxis foliosa (Engl. & Diels) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 21, 1971

Fig. 58 ; Map 7G

≡ Popowia foliosa Engl. & Diels, Monogr. Afrik. Pflanzen.-Fam. 6: 52, 1901. Enneastemon foliosus (Engl. & Diels) Robyns & Ghesq., Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Ser. B 53: 165, 1933.

= Monanthotaxis foliosa var. ferruginea (Robyns & Ghesq.) Verdc., Kew Bull., 25(1): 21, 1971; Enneastemon ferrugineus Robyns & Ghesq., Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Sér. 2 (6): 90, 1934; Enneastemon foliosus var. ferrugineus (Robyns & Ghesq.) Le Thomas, Fl. Gabon. 246, 1969. Type. Gabon. Nyanga, Tchibanga area Roungala, Le Testu G.M.P.C. 2108, 9 Sep 1915: holotype: P[P00362594, P00362596, P00362597]; isotypes: BM[BM000547358]; BR[BR0000008820235, BR0000008820242]; E[E00624354]; LISC[LISC000377].

Type.

Cameroon. South Region; Bipindi, Zenker G.A. 2050, 1899: lectotype, chosen by Hoekstra et al. (2021), p. 157: B[B100153030]; isolectotypes: B[B100153031]; BM[BM001125038]; BR[BR0000008820280]; E[E00624353]; G[G00014883, G00014884]; HBG[HBG-502537]; K[K000198987]; L[L.1754335]; M[M-0205486]; MO n.v., P[P00362595, P00362598]; S[S07-13495]; WU[WU0025871] .

Description.

Shrub when young (?) to liana, 4 m tall, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches reddish brown to yellowish brown, with dense erect reddish brown hairs 0.2 mm long. Leaves: petiole 5-7 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 8.8-20 cm long, 5.2-8.9 cm wide, elliptic to oblong, apex acute to obtuse, base rounded to narrowly cuneate, subcoriaceous, below sparsely to densely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, above sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib depressed, above densely pubescent when young and old, below densely pubescent to sparsely pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 7 to 10 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent, very dense. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 16 per inflorescence; pedicel 6-11 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, densely pubescent with dense erect reddish brown hairs; in fruit 7-15 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter; basal bract ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; upper bract 0.5-1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, ovate, apex acute to obtuse, base truncate, densely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals partly covered in bud; outer petals 3, 2.5-6.5 mm long, 2-4.2 mm wide, ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, margins flat, densely pubescent outside, pubescent with a glabrous base inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 2.4-6.1 mm long, 1.4-3.4 mm wide, rhombic, apex obtuse, base truncate, margins flat, densely pubescent outside, pubescent with a glabrous base inside; stamens 8 to 9, in 1 row, ca. 1 mm long, clavate; connective truncate, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 6 to 7, ovary 1-2 mm long, stigma elongate, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipes ca. 4 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter; monocarps 1 to 3, 16-24 mm long, 9-11 mm in diameter, moniliform, cylindrical, apex apiculate, pubescent to glabrous, smooth, constricted around seeds when more than 1, color unknown; seeds 1 to 3 per monocarp, ca. 11 mm long, ca. 8 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A widespread west and central African species, from Ivory Coast to eastern Nigeria and Cameroon to Gabon, with a disjunct distribution in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Cameroon known from the South and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A, uncommon species when present; in primary or secondary rain forests, and gallery forests. Altitude 300-1500 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

Endangered (EN) ( Hoekstra et al. 2021).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Monanthotaxis foliosa belongs to the Monanthotaxis schweinfurthii complex (see under M. capea ) which has axillary inflorescences, rounded flower buds in which the 3 outer petals overlap the 3 inner petals at the top and 8 to 9 stamens per flower. It differs from M. capea (the only other species of this complex present in Cameroon) by the dense tertiary venation raised on the upper side of the leaf blade, the more broadly cordate leaf base and the smooth monocarps (versus tuberculate-rugulose in M. capea ).

Specimens examined.

South Region: Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 1899, Zenker G.A. 2050 (E,L,M,P); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 January 1904, Zenker G.A. 3001 (B,E,G,K,L,M,MO,P). South-West Region : Permanent Sample Plot on Shrike trail above Nyasoso, 4.81°N, 9.683°E, 06 February 1995, Cable S. 1169 (K,YA); Saddle of Kupe Rock , 4.79°N, 9.686°E, 14 November 1995, Cheek M. 7794 (K,YA); Kupe village , 4.79°N, 9.701°E, 17 November 1995, Cheek M. 7880 (K,WAG,YA); Nyasoso, 4.81°N, 9.716°E, 27 February 1996, Etuge M. 1748 (K,WAG,YA); Kupe village, 4.76°N, 9.7°E, 03 December 1999, Gosline W.G. 254 (K); Mapanja, 4.12°N, 9.115°E, 01 January 1931, Maitland T.D. 1072 (K); Korup National Park, 5.01°N, 8.833°E, 12 April 1985, Thomas D.W. 4721 (MO,P,WAG) .

Figures

Map 7. A Monanthotaxis diclina B Monanthotaxis dielsiana C Monanthotaxis elegans D Monanthotaxis enghiana E Monanthotaxis ferruginea F Monanthotaxis filamentosa G Monanthotaxis foliosa H Monanthotaxis glaucifolia I Monanthotaxis gracilis. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 58. Monanthotaxis foliosa A leaf, upper view B base of leaf blade, lower view, note two small lobes at base C base of leaf blade, upper view D flower, petals removed, top view E detail of stamens, side view; not clearly unguiculate stamens. Monanthotaxis hirsuta F leaves, upper view G base of leaf blades, lower view H Base of leaf blade, upper view A-E Couvreur 601, Gabon F-H Couvreur 1175, Mapubi, Cameroon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.