Xylopia pynaertii De Wild., Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. Ser . 5, 3(1): 79, 1909

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 : 479-480

Xylopia pynaertii De Wild., Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. Ser. 5, 3(1): 79, 1909

Fig. 146 ; Map 18H

Type.

Democratic Republic of the Congo. Equateur; Eala, Pynaert L.A.E.J. 567, 15 Oct 1906: lectotype, designated by Johnson and Murray (2018), p. 201: BR[BR0000024941426]; isolectotypes: BR[BR 0000008825339, BR 0000008825346] .

Description.

Tree, up to 35 m tall, d.b.h. up to 40 cm; buttresses present, ca. 0.5 m tall, upper bark red, rough, scaly. Old branches glabrous, young branches pubescent, the hairs 0.4-1.5 mm long. Leaves: petiole 1-3 mm long, 1 mm wide, pubescent, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 3.6-8.7 cm long, 1.2-2.3 cm wide, lanceolate, ovate or elliptic, apex acute to obtuse, base cuneate, papyraceous to subcoriaceous, below pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent when old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous or occasionally concolorous; midrib sunken, above glabrous to pubescent when young, glabrous to pubescent when old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 8 to 13 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, axillary, peduncle ca. 1 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 2 per inflorescence; pedicel 4-5 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 3-24 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent; bracts 2, evenly spaced, 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally to ½ fused, forming a cup, 2-3 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, triangular to ovate, apex acute, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; petals free, subequal; outer petals 3, 15.2-20.5 mm long, 2.4-3 mm wide at base, linear, apex acute to obtuse, base broad and concave, light yellow to white, sericeous outside, pubescent but glabrous towards the base inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 12.3-16.8 mm long, 2.2-3.2 mm wide at base, linear, apex acute, base broad and concave, light yellow to white, pubescent with base glabrous on both sides; stamens ca. 140, in 4 to 5 rows, ca. 1 mm long, oblong; connective apex shield-like, glabrous; carpels 9 to 11, ovary ca. 1 mm long, stigmas connivent, linear, 2.5-3.8 mm long, pubescent. Monocarps sessile, or stipitate with the stipe 2-8 mm long, 4-6 mm in diameter; monocarps 4 to 8, 26-48 mm long, 13-18 mm wide, obovoid to oblongoid, apex rounded, glabrous, verrucose, wrinkled when dried, green outside, endocarp red; seeds 5 to 6 per monocarp, in two rows, 9-13 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, ellipsoid to flattened ellipsoid; sarcotesta white to grayish blue in vivo; aril absent.

Distribution.

Sparsely occurring from eastern Nigeria to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Cameroon known from two collections in the South and Central regions.

Habitat.

A rare and little known species; in primary rain forest and semi-deciduous forests. Altitude 20-200 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

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

Uses in Cameroon.

Materials: wood for weapons, tools ( Tessmann 1913).

Notes.

Xylopia pynaertii is distinguished by the scaly bright reddish brown upper bark, the long dense hairs of the young branches and lower leaf surfaces, the relatively small leaves (3.6-8.7 cm long), and the short wide monocarps with seeds in two rows.

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Pont Kelle (20 km N d’Eséka), 3.65°N, 10.78°E, 09 December 1973, Letouzey R. 12317 (K,P,YA). South Region: Massif de Ngovayang village de Atog Boga, 3.15°N, 10.29°E, 30 August 2015, Droissart V. 2049 (BRLU,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 146. Xylopia letestui A flowering branch B detail of pubescence on lower side of leaves C outer petal, inner view D inner petal, inner view E receptacle, petals removed F detail of carpels, stamens and petals removed G stamen, front view H staminodes, inner and outer whorl I carpel, side view and longitudinal section showing ovules J flowering branch of the more densely pubescent specimen (see notes under this species) K detail of dense pubescence on lower side of leaf. Xylopia pynaertii L leaves M detail of pubescence on lower side of leaves N fruit O longitudinal section of monocarp P seed, side view A-I from Le Testu 5975 J, K from Halle & Le Thomas 122 L-P from Le Thomas 23. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b; pl. 33, p. 179).