Piptostigma pilosum Oliv., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 8: 159, 1964

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 : 305-307

Piptostigma pilosum Oliv., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 8: 159, 1964

Figs 92 , 94 ; Map 12A

= Piptostigma giganteum Hutch. & Dalziel, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew: 151, 1927. Type. Nigeria. Cross River State, Oban District, Talbot P.A. 1336, no date: holotype: K[K000199007]; isotype: K[K000199006].

= Piptostigma latipetalum Baker f.; nom. nud.

Type.

Nigeria. Cross River State; Old Calabar, Thomson W.C. 61, no date: holotype: K[K000199008]; isotype: B[B100154081] .

Description.

Tree, up to 12 m tall, d.b.h. 8-10 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches densely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-4 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, cylindrical, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 25-41 cm long, 9-17.2 cm wide, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or narrowly obovate to obovate, apex acuminate, acumen 1.1-2.7 cm long, base rounded to cordate, subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib impressed, above densely pubescent when young and old, below densely pubescent when young, densely pubescent when old; secondary veins 20 to 28 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; inflorescence cauliflorous or on old leafless branches, axillary, peduncle like base ca. 10 mm long, axial internodes 3-23 mm long, compact to sublax, sympodial rachis 35-50 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 3 per inflorescence; pedicel 10-25 mm long, ca. 3 mm in diameter, tomentose; in fruit 10 mm long, 3 mm in diameter, tomentose; basal bract ca. 12 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide; upper bract ca. 12 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 7-8 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, brown, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals shorter than inner; outer petals 3, 7-8 mm long, 3-3.5 mm wide, obovate, apex acuminate, base truncate, light yellow cream to red towards the base, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 30-60 mm long, 8-15 mm wide, elliptic, apex acute, base truncate, pink, margins wavy, pubescent to densely pubescent outside, pubescent inside; stamens numerous, in 6 to 8 rows, 1 mm long, broad; connective discoid, glabrous, red; staminodes absent; carpels free, 5 to 8, ovary ca. 1 mm long, stigma globose, pubescent. Monocarps sessile, 2 to 5, 13-30 mm long, 8-18 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to ovoid, apex cuspidate, pubescent, finely warty, longitudinally ribbed with ca. 6 ribs, light yellow to orange when ripe; seeds up to 7 per monocarp, 1.5-3.5 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A central African species, from south eastern Nigeria to Gabon; in Cameroon known from East, South and mainly South-West regions.

Habitat.

A fairly uncommon species; in the understory of primary and old secondary rain forests. Altitude 50-390 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) ( Cosiaux et al. 2019a q).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Piptostigma pilosum resembles P. macrophyllum because of the large size of their leaf blades (25-41 cm in both species). However, the leaf blades of P. pilosum are mostly elliptic (sometimes however they can be obovate) with a rounded or cordate base, while those of P. macrophyllum are always obovate with an acute to obtuse base and the flowering pedicel is longer (10-25 mm versus 8-10 mm in Piptostigma macrophyllum ). The inflorescence of P. pilosum generally presents few flowers per inflorescence (1 to 3) while there are 3 to 6 in P. macrophyllum . The species P. fugax and P. oyemense also have few flowers per inflorescence (1) but these species have fewer carpels (1 to 3 versus 5 to 8 in P. pilosum ).

Specimens examined.

East Region: 78 km south of Yokadouma 30 km after Ngato 15 km after river ALPICAM 'base de vie’ then 40 km on forestry road starting 4 km before Masea village , 3.15°N, 14.72°E, 05 March 2019, Couvreur T.L.P. 1204 (MPU,WAG,YA). South-West Region : Near Bai Kuke SE of Mbonge, 4.53°N, 9.11°E, 25 January 1958, Keay R.W.J. 37372 (P); Along footpath from Ndian River at PAMOL field 69 and transect P, 5.01°N, 8.833°E, 24 January 1985, Thomas D.W. 4311 (P,YA); Korup National Park, 5.01°N, 8.833°E, 12 April 1985, Thomas D.W. 4755 (MO); Limbe W of Njonji Lake, 4.13°N, 9.016°E, 27 January 1994, Wieringa J.J. 2030 (U,WAG) .

Figures

Map 12. A Piptostigma pilosum B Piptostigma submontanum C Polyceratocarpus microtrichus D Polyceratocarpus parviflorus E Polyceratocarpus pellegrinii F Sirdavidia solannona G Sphaerocoryne gracilipes H Toussaintia hallei I Uvaria afzelii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 92. Piptostigma mortehani A single monocarp B base of leaf blade, lower side C base of leaf blade, upper side. Piptostigma pilosum D leaf, lower side, note numerous secondary veins E base of leaf blade, upper side F inflorescence with two flowers, side view. Piptostigma submontanum G leaf, lower side, note numerous secondary veins H base of leaf blade, upper side I base of leaf blade, lower side J cauliflorous inflorescence, note compact nature A Bidault 3633, Gabon B, C Couvreur 436, Ebolbom, Cameroon D, E Couvreur 1070, Gabon F Bidault 1414, Gabon G-J Couvreur 625, Ebo, Cameroon. Photos B-E, G-J Thomas L. P. Couvreur A, F Ehoarn Bidault. Tropicos. org, Missouri Botanical Garden.

Figure 94. Piptostigma pilosum A leaf B inflorescence C flower D receptacle E stamens F carpel side view and detail of ovules. Piptostigma glabrescens G leaf H inflorescence I flower, side view J receptacle, petals and sepals removed A-F from Le Testu 8465 G-J from Letouzey 4167. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b, pl. 20, p. 119).