Uvariopsis sessiliflora (Mildbr. & Diels) Robyns & Ghesq., Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Ser. B 53: 322, 1933

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 : 431-432

Uvariopsis sessiliflora (Mildbr. & Diels) Robyns & Ghesq., Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Ser. B 53: 322, 1933

Map 16G

≡ Tetrastemma sessiliflorum Mildbr. & Diels, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 53. 440, 1915.

Type.

Cameroon. East Region; Bezirk Lomié, im grossen Dscha-Bogen, Mildbraed G.W.J. 5239, 1911: holotype: B[B 10 015312]; isotype: HBG[HBG502485] .

Description.

Tree, height unknown, d.b.h. unknown; stilt roots or buttresses not observed. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches densely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-3 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 12-18 cm long, 4-6 cm wide, elliptic to obovate, apex acute, acumen 0.5-0.8 cm long, base acute to obtuse, papyraceous, below densely pubescent when young, densely pubescent when old, above glabrous when young and old; midrib sunken or flat, above densely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, below densely pubescent when young, glabrous when old; secondary veins 10 to 11 pairs per side, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals unisexual [?, only female flowers known], monoecious [?]; inflorescences cauliflorous. Flowers with 6 perianth parts in 2 whorls, globose in bud, 2 to 3 per inflorescence, female pedicels 1-3 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit unknown, bracts 2 to 3, all basal or towards the lower half of pedicel, ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; female sepals 2, valvate, free, 2-4 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; female petals 4, free, 7-16 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, sparsely pubescent and sericeous towards margins inside; male flowers unknown; staminodes unknown; female flowers: carpels free, number unknown, ovary 2-3 mm long, stigma unknown,. Monocarps stipitate, 1 seen, ca. 18 mm long, ca. 13 mm in diameter, globose, apex rounded, glabrous, smooth, color unknown; seeds 3 to 4 per monocarp, ca. 8 mm long, ca. 6 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

endemic to Cameroon, known from the South region.

Habitat.

Only known from the type specimen; in primary lowland rain forests. Altitude: ca. 600 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Not evaluated (but probably Critically Endangered).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Uvariopsis sessiliflora is a poorly known species, but is distinguished by its subsessile flowers (pedicel shorter than 3 mm) and globose flower buds. Subsessile flowers are also found in U. citrata ( Couvreur and Niangadouma 2016), but this latter species has longer leaves (31-50 vs 12-18 cm) with a characteristic lemon scent (not reported by Mildbraed for U. sessiliflora ) and conical flower buds (versus globose)

The latest phylogenetic studies of Uvariopsis suggest that U. sessiliflora is conspecific with U. dioica , and the former name could be synonymized with the later (Dagallier et al. in prep).

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).