Xylopia quintasii Pierre ex Engl. & Diels, Monogr. Afrik. Pflanzen.-Fam. 6: 62, 1901

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 : 480-483

Xylopia quintasii Pierre ex Engl. & Diels, Monogr. Afrik. Pflanzen.-Fam. 6: 62, 1901

Fig. 150 ; Map 18I

= Xylopia striata Engl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34: 160, 1904. Type. Cameroon. South Region, Bipindi, Zenker G.A. 2663, Jan 1903: lectotype, here designated by Johnson and Murray (2018), p. 68: B[B100153156]; isolectotypes: BM[BM000511005, right hand portion of sheet]; K[K001096587]; P[P00169150, P00169151].

= Xylopia lanepoolei Sprague & Hutch., Kew Bull. Misc. Inform.: 160, 1916. Type. Sierra Leone. Western Area, Headquarters District, Heddles Farm, Lane-Poole C.E. 210, Apr 1914: lectotype, designated by Johnson and Murray (2018), p. 69: K[K000380211]; isolectotype: K[spirit collection 15057.00].

= Polyalthia mayumbensis Exell, J. Bot. Suppl. 4: 64, 1926. Type. Angola. Cabinda, Buco Zau, Mayumbe, Gossweiler J. 6845, 28 Nov 1916: holotype: BM[BM 000511084]; isotype: COI[COI 00004887].

Type.

Sao Tome and Principe. Insel St. Thome , bei Angolares, Quintas F. 3, Jan 1886: lectotype, designated by Johnson and Murray (2018), p. 68: K[K000199059]; isolectotype: COI[COI00004887] .

Description.

Tree, 10-42 m tall, d.b.h. up to 75 cm; buttresses present, narrow and thin. Old branches glabrous, young branches glabrous to sparsely pubescent, the hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long. Leaves: petiole 3-7 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 6-11.9 cm long, 2.6-5.5 cm wide, obovate to oblanceolate, occasionally elliptic, apex acuminate, acumen 0.2-0.6 cm long, base cuneate and decurrent, papyraceous to subcoriaceous, below glabrous when young, glabrous to sparsely pubescent when old, above glabrous when young and old, discolourous, often tan-colored below; midrib sunken, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young, glabrous when old; secondary veins 7 to 12 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate or old leafless branches, axillary, peduncle sometimes present, 2.6-2.8 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 7 per inflorescence; pedicel 7-9 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 8-19 mm long, 2 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts (2)3(4), evenly spaced, 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free to basally fused, ca. 2 mm long, 2-1 mm wide, triangular to ovate, apex acute to obtuse, base truncate, green, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free, subequal; outer petals 3, 8-15 mm long, 1.8-2.8 mm wide at base, ligulate, apex obtuse, base broad and concave, cream to light green, pubescent outside, pubescent and glabrous towards the base inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 7.1-13.2 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, linear, apex obtuse, base broad and concave, lacking an internal tooth overhanging the concavity, with fleshy glandlike margins, cream to light green, pubescent outside, pubescent but glabrous towards the base inside; stamens 50 to 80, in 3 to 4 rows, 1-2 mm long, oblong; connective apex conical, glabrous; carpels 3 to 5, ovary 1-2 mm long, stigmas separate, clavate, ca. 0.5 mm long, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipe 7-11 mm long, 2-4 mm in diameter; monocarps 1 to 4, 35-64 mm long, 7-10 mm wide, narrowly oblongoid, apex with a beak 1.5-4 mm long, glabrous, obliquely striate, occasionally verrucose when dried, slightly constricted around seeds, green outside tinged with brown, endocarp green; seeds 3(5) monocarp, in a single row, 10-13 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, ellipsoid; sarcotesta absent; aril present, fimbriate, extending over the length of the seed, membranous, red to deep orange.

Distribution.

A widespread species in West and Central Africa, from Sierra Leone to northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo and south to northern Angola, also on the island of São Tomé; in Cameroon known from East, South, Central, Littoral, South-West and West regions.

Habitat.

A locally common species in primary lowland rain forest on a variety of soils, occasionally in secondary forest or rarely in inundated forest. Altitude: 0-200(680) m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

mbonba ( Yaoundé, Letouzey 5510), munjié, monjié, sangé, sangi (Bibaya); nom akwi; muomba ( Yaoundé, de Wilde 1320), mvǔ’ma (Fang, Tessmann 760; Tessmann 1913), mwomba.

IUCN conservation status.

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

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

The short blunt petals and fimbriate orange aril of Xylopia quintasii are shared with X. aurantiiodora . Xylopia quintasii , however,is typically a tall tree of uplands,with a straight bole and compact crown with crowded horizontal branches, while X. aurantiiodora is a shrub or small tree of riverine habitats, reaching eventually a height of up to 10 meters. It also lacks the tooth on the inner petal found in X. aurantiiodora . The new leaf flush in X. quintasii is red or purple, in contrast to the white leaf flush in X. congolensis De Wild., a similar species not yet known from Cameroon.

Monkeys of several species have been reported as dispersers of the seeds of X. quintasii (summarized in Johnson and Murray 2018).

Selected specimens examined.

Central Region: Chantier forestier au sud de Song Bon (SE d’Eseka), 3.42°N, 10.49°E, 08 December 1967, Bamps P.R.J. 1376 (P,YA); Ca 5O km NW of Eseka W of Yaoundé on opposite of the Kele River, 3.65°N, 10.78°E, 23 November 1963, de Wilde J.J.F.E 1320 (BR,K,P,WAG,YA); ca 50 km NW of Eséka W of Yaoundé on opposite [side?] of the Kelè-river, 3.75°N, 10.61°E, 01 November 1963, de Wilde W.J.J.O 1320 (K,P,WAG); Yaoundé, 3.87°N, 11.52°E, 01 January 1935, Foury P. 36 (P); M´balmayo, 3.52°N, 11.5°E, 28 October 1959, Mpom B. 353 (P,YA). East Region: 28 km SW of Bertoua near Toungrélo, 4.58°N, 13.68°E, 12 January 1961, Breteler F.J. 2398 (A,BR,G,K,M,P,SL,U,UC,WAG,YA); A 26 km au SSW de Koso (village situé à 60 km au SSW de Batouri), 3.93°N, 14.17°E, 27 July 1963, Letouzey R. 5510 (K,P,YA); Moloundou, 2.05°N, 15.17°E, 06 December 1910, Mildbraed G.W.J. 4003 (P); south of Sanaga between Yaoundé and Deng Deng, between the union of the Lom (Sanaga) and Djerem rivers about, 125 km NE of Yaoundé, 5.33°N, 13.4°E, 01 February 1914, Mildbraed G.W.J. 8294 (K). South Region: Bipindi, 3.26°N, 10.20°E, 23 June 1918, Annet E. 319 (P); 22 km from Kribi Lolodorf road, 3.05°N, 10.05°E, 09 June 1969, Bos J.J. 4773 (BR,K,LD,LM,MO,P,POZG,WAG,YA); 28 km east from Lélé village, 2.27°N, 13.29°E, 09 September 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 483 (WAG,YA); ca 15 km east from Lélé village, 2.29°N, 13.33°E, 10 September 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 500 (WAG,YA); Hill facing the village of N’koladom, 2.80°N, 11.16°E, 03 January 1975, de Wilde J.J.F.E 7871 (B,BR,K,MO,P,U,WAG,YA); Hill roughly between Nkolandom and Nkoemvone, 2.8°N, 11.15°E, 09 January 1975, de Wilde J.J.F.E 7889 (B,BR,K,MO,P,U,WAG,YA); TDC Sud Cameroun, 2.65°N, 9.9°E, 14 November 1991, Hallé F. 4240 (WAG); Bipindi - Ebolowa, 3.00°N, 10.92°E, 01 December 1913, Mildbraed G.W.J. 7613 (K); [Locality not legible- but should be Bedai], 2.17°N, 11.12°E, December 1908 [?], Tessmann G. 760 (K); Campo-Ma’an area 2.56°N, 9.833°E, 16 April 2001, van Andel T.R. 3345 (KRIBI,WAG,YA); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1900, Zenker G.A. 2080 (L,P,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1914, Zenker G.A. 2094 (B,GH,M,MO,P,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 January 1903, Zenker G.A. 2655 (L,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1903, Zenker G.A. 2663 (P); Mimfia, 3.06°N, 10.38°E, 01 June 1913, Zenker G.A. 359 (P,U); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 October 1913, Zenker G.A. 408 (P,U); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1911, Zenker G.A. 4096 (L,P); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1913, Zenker G.A. 4738 (L,P); Mimfia, 3.06°N, 10.38°E, 01 May 1914, Zenker G.A. 580 (P,U). South-West Region: forest near Ngusi village north of Nyassosso, 4.88°N, 9.7°E, 26 April 1986, Etuge M. 56 (B,K,MO,WAG,YA); Korup National Park, 5.02°N, 8.8°E, 01 January 1998, Kenfack D. 1187 (MO); mile 12 Mamfe road between Kumba and Badu 4.75°N, 9.48°E, 01 October 1986, Nemba J. 293 (MO,P,WAG). West Region: Piste Santchou-Bale 18 km SSW de Dschang, 5.26°N, 10.04°E, 26 November 1974, Letouzey R. 13327 (P,YA).

Figures

Map 18. A Xylopia katangensis B Xylopia letestui C Xylopia longipetala D Xylopia mildbraedii E Xylopia monticola F Xylopia paniculata G Xylopia phloiodora H Xylopia pynaertii I Xylopia quintasii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 150. Xylopia quintasii A leaves, lower side B fruits C detail of opened monocarp, note fimbriate red aril extending over the whole seed. Xylopia staudtii D leaf, upper side E leaf, lower side H flower, side view G flower, 1 outer petal removed, side view H fruits, immature I detail of inside of monocarp, note short bright yellow aril and reddish inside of monocarp A-C Couvreur 483, Lele, Cameroon D-I Couvreur 580, Gabon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.