Dennettia tripetala Baker f., Cat. Pl. Oban: 5, 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 : 97-100

Dennettia tripetala Baker f., Cat. Pl. Oban: 5, 1913

Fig. 24 ; Map 3G

≡ Uvariopsis tripetala (Baker f.) G.E.Schatz, Novon 13(4): 447, 2003.

Type.

Nigeria. Edo State; Benin City, Dennett R.E. 44, 1 Jan 1907: lectotype, designated by Kenfack et al. (2003), p. 447; sheet here designated: K[K000040959]; isolectotypes: K[K000040961]; S[S-G-9774] .

Description.

Shrub to small tree, 2-5 m tall, d.b.h. unknown; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-5 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 7.2-15.5 cm long, 3-6.8 cm wide, elliptic, apex attenuate to acuminate, acumen 0.6-1.3 cm long, base acute to decurrent, subcoriaceous, below glabrous when young and old, above glabrous when young and old; midrib sunken or flat, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young and old; secondary veins 5 to 10 pairs per side, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual, inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, axillary. Flowers with 6 perianth parts in 2 whorls, 1 to 4 per inflorescence; pedicel 4-9 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 5-15 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, glabrous to pubescent; bracts 1 to 3, all basal 0.5-2 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide; sepals 3 (rarely 2), valvate, basally fused, 1-3 mm long, 1.5-4 mm wide, triangular, apex acute, base truncate, brown, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals 3 (rarely 4, see notes), free, 7-14 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens ca. 150, in 10 to 20 rows, 0.5-1 mm long, oblong; connective reduced or absent, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 8 to 30, ovary ca. 2-4.5 mm long, stigma globose, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 1-3 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter; monocarps 1 to 8, 11-32 mm long, 5-15 mm in diameter, ovoid to oblong, apex rounded, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, verrucose, wrinkled; seeds 4 to 12 per monocarp, 4-10 mm long, 11-14 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

Mainly a West African species from Sierra Leone to Cameroon; in Cameroon known from the South-West region.

Habitat.

an uncommon species; in lowland to premontane primary or secondary rain forests. Altitude 0-1000 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

Bushpèpè (Westphal 9932, Pidgin English(?)); Pepperfruit (english)

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) ( Harvey-Brown 2019f) (as Uvariopsis tripetala ).

Uses in Cameroon.

food: fruit for sauces, condiments, spices, flavorings (pepper); medicine: cough, fever, toothache, diarrhea, diabetes, nausea ( Iseghohi 2015).

Notes.

Dennettia tripetala is unique in Cameroonian by being a tree with bisexual flowers having three sepals and three petals. This species resembles Uvariopsis congensis and Uvariopsis zenkeri ( Uvariopsis being a genus were Dennettia was once part off, see above, Kenfack et al. (2003)) by the smaller dimensions of its leaves (7-18 cm long and 3-6 cm wide), and the small and short pedicellate (<1 cm) flowers. Dennettia tripetala , however, differs from these two species by its bisexual flowers, whereas all other species of Uvariopsis in Cameroon have unisexual flowers. Only one other species of Uvariopsis is bisexual ( U. bisexualis Verdc.) which occurs in East Africa ( Verdcourt 1971a).

It has been reported that some D. tripetala specimens had 2 sepals and 4 petals ( Kenfack et al. 2003), however, a recent morphological study did not find any evidence for that (Dagallier et al. in prep). However, we cannot exclude that it might be a rare event.

Specimens examined.

South-West Region: Missellele , 4.12°N, 9.448°E, Box H.E. 3556 (BM,K); Limbe ( Victoria ), 4.07°N, 9.189°E, 01 April 1929, Maitland T.D. 626 (K); Buea area 4.2°N, 9.183°E, 01 January 1930, Maitland T.D. s.n. (K[K000105532]); Likomba-Pflanzung 15-35 km NE von Victoria [Limbe], 4.1°N, 9.333°E, 18 October 1928, Mildbraed G.W.J. 10515 (K); Ngandjo on Kumba Mbonge road, 4.55°N, 9.4°E, 25 February 1986, Thomas D.W. 5661 (K); Market of Victoria, 4.01°N, 9.2°E, 04 April 1978, Westphal E. 9932 (WAG) .

Figures

Map 3. A Artabotrys velutinus B Brieya fasciculata C Cleistopholis glauca D Cleistopholis myristiciflora E Cleistopholis patens F Cleistopholis staudtii G Dennettia tripetala H Duguetia barteri I Duguetia confinis. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 24. Dennetia tripetala A flowering branch B flower, petals remove, 1 sepal removed, showing receptacle C receptacle with stamens and stigmas D stamen, front view E carpel, front view F carpel, longitudinal section showing ovules. Material of drawings unknown. Author of drawings unknown, taken from Baker (1913; plate 2).