Xylopia calva D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray, PhytoKeys 97: 154, 2018

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 : 453-454

Xylopia calva D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray, PhytoKeys 97: 154, 2018

Map 17E

Type.

Cameroon. South Region; Bipindi, Zenker G.A. 4747, 1903: holotype: BM[000511011]; isotypes: BR[BR0000014581892]; G; K; L[0191105]; M; MO[751089]; P .

Description.

Tree, height unknown, d.b.h. up to 30 cm; buttresses present. Old branches glabrous, young branches pubescent, the hairs 0.3-0.4 mm long. Leaves: petiole 3-10 mm long, 2 mm wide, sparsely pubescent, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 10-17.2 cm long, 3.6-6.5 cm wide, elliptic to oblong, apex acuminate, acumen 0.3-2.1 cm long, base cuneate to rounded, papyraceous to subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent when old, above glabrous when young, sparsely pubescent when old; concolorous or slightly glaucous abaxially; midrib sunken, above sparsely pubescent when young and old, below sparsely pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 8 to 15 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, axillary, peduncle branched, 1-3 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 10 per inflorescence; pedicel 5-8 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 6-7 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, rusty pubescent; bracts 1 to 2, one basal and one upper towards the middle of pedicel, 2-3 mm long, 2-3 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 4-5 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, ovate, apex acute to obtuse, base truncate, densely pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free, subequal; outer petals 3, 13-23 mm long, 3.8-6 mm wide at base, oblong-lanceolate, apex obtuse, base broad and concave, light yellow, pubescent, base glabrous outside, pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 10-17.5 mm long, 2.5-4 mm wide at base, oblong-lanceolate, apex acute, base broad and concave, yellow with red on the inner base, pubescent outside, glabrous inside except at apex; stamens ca. 200, in 5 to 6 rows, 1-2 mm long, oblong; connective apex shield-like, glabrous, red; carpels ca. 9, ovaries 2 mm long, stigmas connivent at base, linear, slightly thickened at the midpoint, ca. 2.2 mm long, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipe ca. 3 mm long, ca. 7 mm in diameter; monocarps ca. 8, ca. 32 mm long, ca. 17 mm wide, ellipsoid, apex rounded, pubescent, verrucose and slightly wrinkled when dried, color unknown; seeds 7 to 8 per monocarp, in two rows, ca. 9 mm long, ca. 7 mm wide, ellipsoid to flattened ellipsoid, sarcotesta unknown; aril absent.

Distribution.

From southern Nigeria to Cameroon; in Cameroon known only from the South region.

Habitat.

A rare species, known from three collections, two in Cameroon. Altitude 150-200 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Endangered (EN) ( Cosiaux et al. 2019a y).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

The relatively broad petals of X. calva are distinctive in the absence of hairs on the inner surface except at the apex. Xylopia calva has a pedunculate and branched inflorescence type similar to that found in X. phloiodora and X. paniculata .

Specimens examined.

South Region: Près des chutes du Ntem ou de Menvé’élé près Nyabessan (60 km Est de Campo), 2.39°N, 10.35°E, 08 April 1970, Letouzey R. 10306 (P,YA); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 January 1913, Zenker G.A. 4747 (BM,BR,G,K,L,M,MO,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).