Xylopia longipetala De Wild. & T. Durand, Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. Ser . 2, Bot. 1(1): 4, 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 : 469-471

Xylopia longipetala De Wild. & T. Durand, Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. Ser. 2, Bot. 1(1): 4, 1899

Fig. 147 ; Map 18C

= Uvaria parviflora A.Rich., in Guillemin, Perrottet, & A. Richard, Fl. Senegamb. tent., part 1: 9, 1831; Coelocline? Uvaria parviflora (A.Rich.,) A.DC., Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 5: 209, 1832; Unona parviflora (A.Rich.) Steudel, Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2, 2: 730, 1841; Xylopia parviflora (A.Rich.) Benth., Trans. Linn. Soc. 23: 479, 1862, non X. parviflora Spruce; Xylopicrum parviflorum (A. Richard) Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 1: 8. 1891; Xylopia vallotii Chipp ex Hutchinson & Dalziel, Fl. W. Trop. Afr. 1(1): 53. Mar 1927. Type. Senegal. Ziguinchor Region, Perrottet G.G.-S. s. n., 3 or 4 Apr 1829: lectotype, designated by Johnson and Murray (2018), p. 180: P[P00169145]; isotypes: B[B10 0273361, probable]; BM[BM000511054]; G[G00190717]; P[P00169144, plus 4 additional sheets lacking bar codes].

Type.

Democratic Republic of the Congo. Equateur; Bangala, Dewèvre A.P. 876, May 1896: holotype: BR[BR0000008825360]; isotype: BR[BR0000008825377] .

Description.

Tree to shrub, up to 15 m tall, d.b.h. up to 40 cm; stilt roots and buttresses absent. Old branches glabrous, young branches glabrous to sparsely pubescent with erect hairs 0.1-0.5 mm long. Leaves: petiole 3-6 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, pubescent to glabrous, slightly grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 4.2-8.8 cm long, 1.7-3.7 cm wide, oblong or elliptic, occasionally lanceolate, lanceolate-ovate, or ovate-oblong, apex acuminate to obtuse, acumen 0.4-0.8 cm long, base rounded, papyraceous to subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent to glabrous when old, above glabrous when young and old, slightly discolorous; midrib sunken, above sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous to sparsely pubescent when old, below sparsely pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent when old; secondary veins 9 to 14 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, axillary, peduncle 1-1.5 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 4 per inflorescence; peduncle 1-1.5 mm long; pedicel 2-3 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to glabrous; in fruit 10-17 mm long, 7-11 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to glabrous; bracts 2 to 3, towards the middle of pedicel, 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, reflexed at anthesis, 2-3 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, triangular, apex acute, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free, outer petals longer than inner; outer petals 3, 16-62 mm long, 2.7-5 mm wide at base, linear, lax and ribbonlike, apex obtuse, base broad and concave, pale yellow to yellow-green with purple to red base, densely pubescent outside, sparsely pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 19-48 mm long, 3.1-5.2 mm wide at base, linear, lax and ribbonlike, crinkled when dried, apex acute to obtuse, base broad and concave, yellow-green with red base, pubescent at least towards base outside, glabrous to sparsely pubescent inside, densely hairy in the basal concavity; stamens 80 to 100, in 5 to 6 rows, 1-2 mm long, oblong; connective apex shield-like, glabrous; carpels 5 to 7, ovary 1 mm long, stigmas loosely connivent with tips free, linear and sometimes falcate, 3.8-7 mm long, pubescent to glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipe 1-5 mm long, 3-8 mm in diameter; monocarps 3 to 6, 30-44 mm long, 11-19 mm wide, oblongoid, apex rounded or with a beak ca. 2 mm long, glabrous, longitudinally ridged, verrucose and wrinkled when dried, green, sometimes purple or red tinged outside, endocarp bright red; seeds 7 to 12 per monocarp, in two rows, 10-12 mm long, 6-9 mm wide, ellipsoid; sarcotesta white to green in vivo; aril absent.

Distribution.

Occurs from Senegal to southern Chad and south to northern Angola and the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Cameroon known from East, Central and Adamaoua regions.

Habitat.

A species of inundated riparian forests, sometimes on sandy soils. Altitude 30-700 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Not evaluated yet.

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Xylopia longipetala was long known by the name X. parviflora (A. Rich.) Benth, which is however an illegitimate later homonym of X. parviflora Spruce, a South American species. The reflexed sepals, lax ribbonlike petals, and ridged monocarps distinguish it from X. katangensis .

Specimens examined.

Adamaoua Region: Rives du Djerem près Mbakaou, 6.32°N, 12.82°E, 08 December 1959, Letouzey R. 2459 (BR,K,P,YA). Central Region : left bank Sanaga River near ferry Nachtigal ca 20 km N of Obala, 4.35°N, 11.63°E, 11 June 1964, de Wilde W.J.J.O 2676 (B,BR,K,MO,P,WAG); Left bank Sanaga R near Ferry Nachtigal ca 20 km N of Obala, 4.21°N, 11.38°E, 19 November 1965, Leeuwenberg A.J.M. 7033 (B,BR,C,GC,K,LUAI,MO,P,UC,WAG,YA); Yangafok II 25 km ENE de Bafia, 4.93°N, 11.37°E, 26 November 1969, Letouzey R. 9614 (P,YA). East Region : On island in the Sangha River adjacent to the Ndakan gorilla study site, 2.20°N, 16.15°E, 13 March 1988, Fay J.M. 8307 (MO,WAG); Eastern Province W bank of Sangha River, 2.63°N, 16.06°E, 22 May 1988, Harris D.J. 757 (K); Rives du Dja près Ndongo à 40 km WNW de Moloundou, 2.58°N, 15.29°E, 18 March 1973, Letouzey R. 12138 (K,P,YA); Djerem R (Niadaba), 5.93°N, 12.88°E, 27 June 1959, Letouzey R. 2261 (P,YA); Bertoua-Batouri, 4.58°N, 13.68°E, 01 January 1962, Tchinaye V. 103 (P,YA); 7 km NW du confluent Boumba Dja Ngoba, 2.07°N, 15.23°E, 17 April 1971, Villiers J.-F. 666 (P) .

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 147. Xylopia longipetala A flowering branch B flower with all petals removed C outer petal, inner side D inner petal, inner side E fruiting branch, longitudinal section of one monocarp A-D from Pobeguin 48 E from Chevalier 28389. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b; pl. 31, p. 171; 1 - 5).