Artabotrys congolensis De Wild. & T. Durand, Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. Ser . 2, 1(1): 2, 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 : 61-63

Artabotrys congolensis De Wild. & T. Durand, Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. Ser. 2, 1(1): 2, 1899

Fig. 12 ; Map 2C

= Artabotrys rhopalocarpus Le Thomas, Adansonia sér. 2, 6: 591, 1966. Type. Central African Republic: Lobaye, Boukoko, Tisserant C. 2242, 25 Sep 1951: lectotype, sheet here designated: P[P00364752]; isotypes: BM[BM000546867]; BR[BR0000008820822]; LISC[LISC000373]; P[P00363392, P00363390]; WAG[WAG0392422].

Type.

Democratic Republic of the Congo. Equateur; Lukolela, Dewèvre A.P. 819, 31 Mar 1896: holotype: BR[BR0000008820808]; isotype: B[B 10 0153012] .

Description.

Liana, height unknown, d.b.h. ca. 8 cm. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches glabrous. Leaves: petiole 10-15 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, glabrous, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 8-26 cm long, 4-11 cm wide, elliptic to obovate, apex acute to acuminate, acumen 0.5-1 cm long, base acute to decurrent, coriaceous, below glabrous when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, concolorous; midrib impressed, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young and old; secondary veins 8 to 13 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, leaf opposed. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 3 per inflorescence, hook-shaped peduncle 10-15 mm long; pedicel 10-25 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, glabrous; in fruit 12-20 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 1 to 2, all basal, basal bracts 2-3 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 5-8 mm long, 3-7 mm wide, triangular, apex acute, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, inner shorter than outer, green turning yellow; outer petals 3, 15-25 mm long, 8-14 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base broad and concave, margins flat, tomentose outside, tomentose with a glabrous base inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 8-17 mm long, 5-8 mm wide, elliptic to rhombic, apex acute, base broad and concave forming a chamber over the receptacle, margins flat, tomentose outside, tomentose with a glabrous base inside; stamens numerous, number of rows unknown, 2-3 mm long, oblong; connective discoid, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 15 to 20, ovary 3-4 mm long, stigma tubular, sparsely pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 1-2 mm long, 1-3 mm in diameter, but gradually widening into seed-bearing part; monocarps 15 to 20, to 60 mm long, ca. 25 mm in diameter, obovoid, apex acute to rounded, glabrous, smooth, glossy, green when ripe; seeds 1 to 2 per monocarp, 19-22 mm long, 10-15 mm in diameter, ellipsoid, laterally flattened; aril absent.

Distribution.

A central African species, from Cameroon to the Republic of Congo and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Cameroon known from the Central, East, Littoral, South and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A common species; in lowland or premontane secondary or primary rain forests. Altitude 400-1000 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Not evaluated.

Uses in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Notes.

Artabotrys congolensis is distinguished by its completely glabrous branches, petioles and leaf blades, its outer petals that are broad and the inner petals much narrower and its sessile fruits with a stipes gradually widening into the seed-bearing part of the monocarp.

Le Thomas described Artabotrys rhopalocarpus ( Le Thomas 1967c) which was later synonymized with A. congolensis ( Bamps and Le Thomas 1989).

Specimens examined.

Central Region: near Ebolbom village 4 km est of Ngoumou 3 km north west of Otélé, 3.60°N, 11.28°E, 02 May 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 431 (MPU,WAG,YA) . East Region: Sur axe Lomié-Ngoila-Souanké à 15 km au SSW de Ngola , 2.51°N, 13.86°E, 22 February 1973, Letouzey R. 12016 (P,YA) . Littoral Region: Tissongo , 3.57°N, 9.869°E, 09 July 1976, McKey D.B. 111 (K) . South Region: Ebolowa-Yaoundé, 3.00°N, 10.92°E, 12 January 1914, Mildbraed G.W.J. 7727 (B) . South-West Region: Nyasoso, 4.86°N, 9.7°E, 04 June 1996, Cable S. 2851 (K,YA); Along path from village Mt Etinde summit, 4.05°N, 9.15°E, 02 December 1993, Cable S. 332 (K); Kupe Rock saddle, 4.78°N, 9.716°E, 11 July 1996, Cable S. 3804 (K,YA); Kupe village , 4.78°N, 9.716°E, 17 July 1996, Cable S. 3894 (K,YA); Upper Boando , 4.05°N, 9.153°E, 08 December 1993, Cable S. 475 (K,YA); Mabeta Moliwe reserve 3-5 km east of Limbe, 4.00°N, 9.256°E, 03 July 1992, Cheek M. 3470 (P); Kupe village, 4.77°N, 9.688°E, 29 November 1999, Gosline W.G. 241 (K); Pente E Mont 6 km E Bomana 35 km NW Limbé Alt 950 m, 4.27°N, 9.112°E, 11 December 1984, Villiers J.-F. 2441 (P,YA); Saddle between Mt Etinde and Cameroon, 4.08°N, 9.116°E, 28 October 1992, Wheatley J.I. 644 (K,YA) .

Figures

Map 2. A Artabotrys aurantiacus B Artabotrys aurantiacus var. multiflorus C Artabotrys congolensis D Artabotrys dielsianus E Artabotrys insignis F Artabotrys insignis var. batesii G Artabotrys jacques-felicis H Artabotrys rufus I Artabotrys thomsonii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 12. Artabotrys congolensis A flowering branch B sepals outer and inner views C outer petals, outer and inner views D side view of outer and inner petals showing the pollination chamber formed by the inner petals E inner petals, outer and inner views F stamen G fruit, notice the stipes gradually widening into the seed bearing part of the monocarps H longitudinal section of a monocarp showing 2 seeds A-F from Tisserant 2242 G, H from Halle 3451. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1967 c).