Xylopia staudtii Engl. & Diels, Notizbl. Konigl . Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 298, 1899

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 : 487-489

Xylopia staudtii Engl. & Diels, Notizbl. Konigl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 298, 1899

Figs 150 , 152 ; Map 19B

≡ Xylopicrum staudtii (Engler) Kuntze, Deutsch. Bot. Monatsschr. 21: 173-174, 1903.

= Xylopia mayombensis De Wild., Bull. Jard. Bot. État 4: 386, 1914. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kongo Central Province, Ganda-Sundi, de Briey J. 219, 1913: holotype: BR[BR0000024941587]; isotypes: BR[BR0000008825421, BR0000008825438, BR0000008825445, BR0000008825506].

Type.

Cameroon. South-West Region; Johann-Albrechtshöhe [Kumba], Staudt A. 530, 1896: holotype: B; isotypes K[K000105614]; P[00169112, 00169113] .

Description.

Tree, up to 30(50) m tall, d.b.h. up to 80 cm; stilt roots and small buttresses present. Old branches glabrous, young branches glabrous to pubescent with appressed hairs 0.3-0.4 mm long. Leaves: petiole 3-9 mm long, 2 mm wide, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 5.1-11.8 cm long, 2-5.6 cm wide, oblanceolate to obovate, occasionally elliptic, apex acuminate, acumen 0.2-0.3 cm long, base cuneate and decurrent, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous; midrib sunken, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young, glabrous when old; secondary veins 7 to 11 pairs, above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, axillary, peduncle 0.5-2.4 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 3 per inflorescence; pedicel 3-8 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to glabrous; in fruit 7-13 mm long, 3-8 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to glabrous; bracts 2 to 4, evenly spaced, 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally to ½ fused, forming a cup, 2-3 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, ovate, apex acute to obtuse, base truncate, green, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free, subequal; outer petals 3, 5.8-9.6 mm long, 4-5.2 mm wide at base, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, yellow, pubescent outside, pubescent but glabrous towards the base inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 4.1-8.4 mm long, 2-3.2 mm wide at base, elliptic to rhombic, apex acute, base truncate, yellow, pubescent outside, pubescent towards base inside; stamens 100 to 120, in 5 to 6 rows, 2 mm long, clavate; connective apex shield-like with a central conical point, pubescent, bright yellow; carpels 3 to 11, ovary 1-2 mm long, stigmas loosely connivent or separate, linear, 2.6-4.6 mm long, tuberculate and sparsely pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipe 7-15 mm long, 3-6 mm in diameter; monocarps 3 to 5, 37-98 mm long, 12-21 mm wide, cylindrical, apex rounded to sometimes with a curved beak 1.3-3 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, sometimes slightly constricted around seeds and verrucose and wrinkled when dried, green outside, endocarp scarlet; seeds 1 to 5 per monocarp, in a single row, 14-19 mm long, 9-13 mm wide, ellipsoid; sarcotesta absent; aril present, brushlike, bright yellow to orange.

Distribution.

A widespread species with a disjunct distribution in West Africa, from Sierra Leone to Ghana, and in Central Africa from eastern Nigeria to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Uganda and Cabinda (Angola); in Cameroon known from East, South, Central, Littoral, South-West and West regions.

Habitat.

A fairly common species, in primary and old secondary rain forests. Altitude 0-1350 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

nkala (Bulu, de Wilde 7941), ntom (Ntoumou, Focho et al. (2010)), odjobi (Ntoumou, Focho et al. (2010), Letouzey 8178).

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) ( Cosiaux et al. 2019b f).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Xylopia staudtii reaches the greatest height of any Xylopia species, becoming a canopy tree up to 50 meters tall. The stilt roots of this species were described by Jeník (1970) in detail and consist of adventitious roots up to one meter above the ground and stilted pneumatophores or "peg roots" arising laterally from the roots and expanding up to 10 m from the main trunk. With its broad flower buds and petals, Xylopia staudtii is most similar to Xylopia africana , also sharing with that species the oblong thick-walled monocarps and large seeds with a brushlike aril. Xylopia africana ,however, is a smaller tree, with larger sepals, obtuse outer petal apices, and red arils rather than bright yellow or orange as in X. staudtii .

The seeds of X. staudtii have been reported as a food item for two hornbill species ( Whitney et al. 1998), four species of mangabeys and guenons ( Gautier-Hion et al. 1985; Poulsen et al. 2001), and mandrills ( Lahm 1986).

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Yaoundé, 3.87°N, 11.52°E, 01 January 1935, Foury P. 46 (P); 21 km NO d’Oveng, 3.7°N, 11.37°E, 24 October 1966, Letouzey R. 8178 (L,P,YA) . East Region: Dja Reserve ( Réserve de Faune du Dja) Bouamir Research Area 90 km southeast of Akonolinga , 3.41°N, 12.96°E, 24 October 1994, Fogiel M.K. 864 (MO,YA); Colline à l’ENE de Mbalam (140 km ESE de Djoum près Souanké-Congo), 2.22°N, 13.82°E, 20 January 1973, Letouzey R. 11865 (P,YA); 23 km à l’ouest de Masea (village situé à 50 km au SSW de Yokadouma), 3.15°N, 14.87°E, 04 July 1963, Letouzey R. 5404 (P,YA) . Littoral Region: Makak , 3.87°N, 10.62°E, 22 January 1945, Letouzey R. 1126 (P) . South Region: hill above Nlonacko near village Ebianemeyong , 2.43°N, 10.35°E, 12 December 1998, de Wilde J.J.F. E 12161 (BR,KRIBI,MO,S,WAG); Station de cacaoyer de N’koemvone 14 km On the road from Ebolowa to Ambam, 2.81°N, 11.13°E, 31 January 1975, de Wilde J.J.F.E 7941 (B,BR,K,MO,P,U,WAG,YA); N´Koemvone, 2.81°N, 11.13°E, 04 March 1975, de Wilde J.J.F.E 8029 (B,BR,K,MO,P,U,WAG,YA); Près Nteigne PK 108 sur route Mintom I (70 km E de Djoum), 2.2°N, 13.81°E, 19 January 1973, Letouzey R. 11854 (P,YA); Bebai- Camposgebiet- Weg u [locality reported as being in Equatorial Guinea], 2.17°N, 11.12°E, 18 November 1908, Tessmann G. 644 (K); Mimfia, 3.06°N, 10.38°E, 01 March 1913, Zenker G.A. 246 (P,U); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, 01 January 1908, Zenker G.A. 3653 (L,P); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1911, Zenker G.A. 3953 (L,P); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.42°E, 01 January 1913, Zenker G.A. 4862 (L,P) . South-West Region: Johann-Albrechtshöhe [Kumba] area 4.16°N, 9.2°E, 1896, Staudt A. 530 (K,P); Mount above Batoke , 4.08°N, 9.083°E, 24 April 1984, Thomas D.W. 3463 (MO,P,WAG,YA); Takamanda Forest Reserve footpath from Mbilishi to Kalu 6.25°N, 9.43°E, 01 May 1987, Thomas D.W. 7401 (MO) .

Figures

Map 19. A Xylopia rubescens B Xylopia staudtii C Xylopia talbotii D Xylopia thomsonii E Xylopia villosa. 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.

Figure 152. Xylopia staudtii A flowering branch B flower bud, side view C detail of receptacle, petals removed D outer petal, inner view E inner petal, outer view G stamen H staminode, outer whorl H staminode, inner whorl I carpel, side view and detail of ovules J fruit K seed, front view L part of the aril. 1 from Letouzey 5404 B-I from Le Testu 9287 J-L from Aubreville 1941. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b; pl. 29, p. 163).