Uvaria comperei Le Thomas, Adansonia ser . 2, 8: 244, 1968

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 : 350-351

Uvaria comperei Le Thomas, Adansonia ser. 2, 8: 244, 1968

Figs 103 , 109 , 110 ; Map 13H

Type.

Gabon. Ogooué-Ivindo; Belinga, Hallé N. 3267, 20 Nov 1964: holotype: P[P00046772] .

Description.

Liana, 3-5 m tall, d.b.h. 3-5 cm. Indumentum of simple or fasciculate hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches tomentose to pubescent. Leaves: petiole 4-6 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, tomentose, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 6-17 cm long, 3-6.5 cm wide, oblong, apex acuminate to obtuse, acumen 1 cm long, base rounded to broadly cordate, papyraceous, below pubescent with simple or fasciculate hairs when young and old, above sparsely pubescent with short simple and stellate hairs when young, glabrous when old; midrib sunken or flat, above sparsely pubescent when young and old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 9 to 13 pairs, sparsely pubescent above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 per inflorescence; pedicel 6-11 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 11-16 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent; bracts 2, one basal and one towards the lower half of pedicel, basal bract 2-4 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; upper bract 2-4 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 2-3 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, ovate, apex acuminate to attenuate, base truncate, pale green, tomentose outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, sub equal; outer petals 3, 7-14 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, ovate to oblong, apex obtuse, base truncate, green to light yellow, margins shortly revolute or straight, tomentose outside, pubescent inside; inner petals 3, imbricate, 7-14 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, ovate, apex obtuse, base shortly unguiculate, green to light yellow, margins flat, tomentose outside, pubescent inside; stamens numerous, in 7 to 8 rows, ca. 2 mm long, linear; connective discoid, sparsely pubescent, yellow; staminodes absent; carpels free, numerous (not clounted), ovary ca. 4 mm long, stigma bilobed, densely pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 17-22 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, laterally inserted; monocarps 30 to 40, 10-15 mm long, 7-9 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to subglobose, apex rounded or very shortly apiculate, sparsely pubescent, slightly constricted over seeds in dried material, otherwise smooth, green to brown when ripe; seeds 10 to 14 per monocarp, 7-8 mm long, 4-5 mm in diameter, flattened ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

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

Habitat.

A rare species in Cameroon; in secondary rain forests. Altitude 0-100 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Not evaluated.

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Uvaria comperei belongs to a group of species characterized by having sepals mostly free or basally fused and long stipitate globose monocarps with laterally inserted stipes. In flower characters, U. comperei is very close to U. gabonensis (not found in Cameroon to date) and Le Thomas (1968b) distinguished the former mainly based on differences of the leaves which has a rounded to broadly cordate leaf base and a long petiole. In addition, in U. gabonensis the lower side of the leaves have short appressed stellate hairs and the monocarps are smooth and densely tomentose versus short appressed stellate hairs intermixed with some longer erect fasciculate hairs (the latter mostly near the midrib) and bumpy and sparsely pubescent in U. comperei .

Specimens examined.

Littoral Region: Lac Ossa Nord Dizangue , 3.84°N, 10.03°E, Achoundong G. 786 (YA); Lac Ossa Nord Dizangue , 3.84°N, 10.03°E, Achoundong G. 790 (YA). South-West Region: North Base, 4.01°N, 9.283°E, 24 April 1992, Tchouto Mbatchou G.P. 167 (K,YA) .

Figures

Map 13. A Uvaria angolensis B Uvaria anisotricha C Uvaria anonoides D Uvaria baumannii E Uvaria bipindensis F Uvaria buchholzii G Uvaria chamae H Uvaria comperei I Uvaria heterotricha. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 103. Uvaria angolensis A lower side of foliate branch B fruits C flower, top view, note reflexed petals and tongue shape stamen connectives. Uvaria anisotricha D leaves, top view with a flower E close up of flower bud, note reflexed sepal margins F petals of flower (fallen on ground). Uvaria comperei (1 / 2) G leaf base, lower side H leaf base, upper side I flower A, B Bidault 3284, Guinea C Mas 1301, Guinea D-F Couvreur 959, Rumpi Montains, Cameroon G-I Couvreur 893, Gabon. Photos A, B Ehoarn Bidault. Tropicos. org, Missouri Botanical Garden C Cyrille Mas. Tropicos. org, Missouri Botanical Garden D-I Thomas L. P. Couvreur.

Figure 109. Uvaria gabonensis (not in Cameroon) A flowering branch B fruit C seed. Uvaria comperei D flower E stamen, different shapes F carpel, back view, and detail of ovules G fruiting branch H seed. Uvaria anisotricha I leaf and flower bud J detail of pubescence on lower side of leaf, note minute stellate hairs mixed with large stellate hairs A-C from Soyaux 217 D-F from Klaine 3070 G, H from Halle 3267 I, J from Halle & Le Thomas 484. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b, pl. 8, p. 57).

Figure 110. Uvaria comperei (2 / 2) A flower, top view B flower, side view, note free sepals C fruit with long stipitate monocarps. Uvaria klaineana D branch E flower F detail of flower and receptacle G fruit A, B Couvreur 545 C Couvreur 893, Gabon D, G Couvreur 919, Gabon E, F Couvreur 546, Gabon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.