Xylopia hypolampra Mildbr., Notizbl. Konigl . Bot. Gart. Berlin, Append. 27: 18, 1913

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 : 460-463

Xylopia hypolampra Mildbr., Notizbl. Konigl. Bot. Gart. Berlin, Append. 27: 18, 1913

Figs 144 , 145 ; Map 17I

= Xylopia brieyi De Wild., Bull. Jard. Bot. État 4: 385, 1914. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kongo Central Province, Ganda-Sundi, de Briey J. 108, 8 Oct 1911: lectotype, designated by Johnson and Murray (2018), p. 169: BR[BR 0000008824844]; isolectotypes: BR[BR0000008824790, BR 0000008824806, BR 0000008824813, BR 0000008824837]; US[US1270066].

Type.

Cameroon. East Region; Lomié, Mildbraed G.W.J. 5183, 13 May 1911: lectotype, designated by Le Thomas (1969b), p. 181: HBG[HBG502479] .

Description.

Tree, 30-40 m tall, d.b.h. up to 80 cm; stilt roots and buttresses absent. Old branches glabrous, young branches glabrous to pubescent, with fine matted hairs 0.2-0.4 mm long. Leaves: petiole 5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, pubescent, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 5.7-7.5 cm long, 1.4-1.9 cm wide, lanceolate to elliptic, apex acuminate to acute, acumen 1.2 cm long, base cuneate to rounded, subcoriaceous, below densely silvery-sericeous when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous; midrib sunken or flat, above glabrous when young and old, below densely pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 10 to 18 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, axillary, peduncle absent. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 3 per inflorescence; pedicel 2-4 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 3-6 mm long, 3-5 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 3 to 4, evenly spaced, ca. 2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 2-3 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, triangular, apex acute, base truncate, green, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free, subequal; outer petals 3, 25-28.7 mm long, 2.5-2.6 mm wide at base, linear, apex obtuse, base broad and concave, yellow to light green, pubescent with base glabrous to sericeous outside, pubescent and glabrous towards base inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 16-31 mm long, 1.9-2.5 mm wide at base, linear, apex acute, base broad and concave, yellow to light green, pubescent outside, pubescent inside; stamens ca. 100, in 7 to 8 rows, 1-2 mm long, oblong; connective apex shield-like, glabrous, red; carpels 7 to 12, ovary ca. 1 mm long, stigmas connivent, sometimes free at tips, filiform, 1.6-2.5 mm long, pubescent. Monocarps sessile; monocarps 6 to 8, 26-41 mm long, 11-22 mm wide, obovoid, ellipsoid or oblongoid, becoming slightly ridged and sunken between the ridges when dried, apex rounded, glabrous, greenish brown, flecked with pale brown lenticels outside, endocarp pink-red; seeds up to 10 per monocarp, in two rows, 7-11 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, ellipsoid; sarcotesta greenish white in vivo; aril absent.

Distribution.

Central Cameroon to southwestern Central African Republic and south to southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Cameroon known from East, South, Central and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A common species, in lowland or submontane evergreen or semi-deciduous rain forest, sometimes along forest edges, and in gallery forest. Altitude 400-900 m. a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

abiès (Bulu, de Wilde 7963), odjobi (Foury 101); moley, munjié, monjié, sangé, sangi (Bibaya); nom akwi, mvomba ( Yaoundé).

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) (Botanic Gardens Conservation International and IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group 2019f).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Xylopia hypolampra is easily distinguished from other species of Xylopia by its narrow, lanceolate to elliptic leaves that are distinctly silvery-sericeous below. The flower pedicels are short, the flowers appearing sessile in the leaf axils. The monocarps are sessile and when fresh are brown with pale brown lenticels. At maturity the monocarps open along 3 lines, and reflex strongly, showing the seeds covered with a greenish white sarcotesta on a red endocarp. Hornbills and monkeys feed on the fruits and seeds; at the Dja Faunal Reserve site in Cameroon Ceratogymna hornbills were particularly effective in extending the seed shadow for individual trees ( Holbrook and Smith 2000).

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Mefou proposed national park near Mefou town , 3.62°N, 11.58°E, 08 March 2004, Cheek M. 11487 (K,YA); Mefou National Park just after Ape Action Africa center along road, 3.62°N, 11.58°E, 24 April 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 420 (WAG,YA); Ottotomo Forest Reserve 1 km after reserve base near small loggers road, 3.66°N, 11.28°E, 25 June 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 450 (WAG,YA); Yaoundé, 3.87°N, 11.52°E, 01 January 1935, Foury P. 101 (OWU,P); Banlieu de Yaounde sur une piste après la borne 9, 3.87°N, 11.52°E, 26 November 1959, Mpom B. 362 (P,YA). East Region : 74 km south of Yokadouma 30 km after Ngato 15 km after river ALPICAM 'base de vie’ then 40 km on forestry road starting 4 km before Masea village , 3.16°N, 14.71°E, 04 March 2019, Couvreur T.L.P. 1198 (MPU,WAG,YA); A 30 km au NE de Bange (km 75 route Yokadouma-Moloundou), 3.02°N, 15.12°E, 25 May 1963, Letouzey R. 5139 (P,YA); entre Bidjum et Dscha-Posten, 3.15°N, 13.61°E, 13 May 1911, Mildbraed G.W.J. 5183 (HBG); Deng Deng, 5.2°N, 13.52°E, 01 January 1914, Mildbraed G.W.J. 8827 (BM,K). South Region : 21 km east from Lele village , 2.27°N, 13.33°E, 07 September 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 467 (WAG,YA); Campo Ma'an National Park 11 km on trail from Ebinanemeyong village on road 7 km from Nyabessan to Campo town, 2.47°N, 10.33°E, 13 February 2015, Couvreur T.L.P. 694 (WAG,YA); 17 km on the road from Ebolowa to Minkok, 2.81°N, 11.13°E, 06 February 1975, de Wilde J.J.F.E 7963 (B,BR,K,MO,P,U,WAG,YA); Bipindi - Ebolowa, 3.00°N, 10.92°E, 01 December 1913, Mildbraed G.W.J. 7618 (B,K); Mvie (Akom II), 2.88°N, 10.58°E, 28 January 1998, van der Burgt X.M. 364 (P) .

Figures

Map 17. A Uvariopsis zenkeri B Xylopia aethiopica C Xylopia africana D Xylopia aurantiiodora E Xylopia calva F Xylopia cupularis G Xylopia elliotii H Xylopia gilbertii I Xylopia hypolampra. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 144. Xylopia hypolampra A flowering branch B detail of dense pubescence on lower side of leaves C flower D detail of receptacle, all petals removed E outer petal, inner view F inner petal, inner view G stamen, front view H staminode, outer whorl I staminode, inner whorl J carpel K detail of ovules L fruit M longitudinal section of monocarp and seeds N detail of seed, side view A-K from Le Testu 8094 L-N from Tisserant 1385. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b; pl. 34, p. 183).

Figure 145. Xylopia hypolampra A tree B detail of trunk, note light grey with patches of darker grey C flowering branch D flower, side view E flower, top view F immature fruit G mature fruit, opened, note seed covered in white sarcotesta A Couvreur 483, Lele, Cameroon B-G Couvreur 568, Gabon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.