Monanthotaxis glaucifolia (Hutch. & Dalziel) P.H.Hoekstra, Taxon 66: 14, 2017

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 : 205-206

Monanthotaxis glaucifolia (Hutch. & Dalziel) P.H.Hoekstra, Taxon 66: 14, 2017

Map 7H

≡ Oxymitra glaucifolia Hutch. & Dalziel, Kew Bull.: 153, 1927; Richella glaucifolia (Hutch. & Dalziel) R.E.Fr., Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2, 17a (2): 139, 1959; Friesodielsia glaucifolia (Hutch. & Dalziel) Steenis, Blumea 12: 359, 1964.

Type.

Nigeria. Cross River State; Oban, Talbot P.A. 403, 1911: holotype: BM[BM000843988] .

Description.

Liana, height unknown, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches pubescent to glabrescent, young foliate branches densely pubescent with dense appressed to ascending light-brown hairs 0.2-0.5 mm long. Leaves: petiole 4-7 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, densely pubescent with light-brown hairs, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 11-25.8 cm long, 3.7-8.6 cm wide, oblong to obovate, apex acuminate, acumen 0.5-2.5 cm long, base subcordate, subcoriaceous to membranous, below sparsely pubescent when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib impressed, above glabrous when young and old, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old; secondary veins 10 to 13 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, leaf opposed to extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 per inflorescence; pedicel 5-21 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, densely pubescent; in fruit 5-21 mm long, 2 mm in diameter; upper bract ca. 3 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, ca. 5 mm long, ca. 7 mm wide, ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, densely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals entirely covered in bud; outer petals 3, 30-35 mm long, 23-25 mm wide, ovate, apex, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, sparsely pubescent to glabrous inside; inner petals 3, valvate, ca. 21 mm long, ca. 26 mm wide, rhombic, apex acute, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens 100 to 150, in 5 to 6 rows, ca. 1 mm long, cuneate; connective truncate, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 45 to 50, ovary ca. 2 mm long, stigma globose, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 3-4 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter; monocarps ca. 8, 15-26 mm long, 9-10 mm in diameter, ellipsoid, apex rounded to apiculate, pubescent, smooth, constricted around seeds when more than 1, color unknown; seeds 1 to 2 per monocarp, ca. 10 mm long, ca. 8 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

Known from Nigeria and Cameroon; in Cameroon known from the South-West region.

Habitat.

A rare species, in submontane primary forest. Altitude 950 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

Endangered (EN) ( Hoekstra et al. 2021).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Monanthotaxis glaucifolia resembles M. dielsiana and M. enghiana by the shape of its leaves (oblong to obovate) and the largish flowers. It differs from M. dielsiana by having more than 100 stamens per flower, and by light brown hairs on the young foliate branches, while M. dielsiana has orange-brown hairs and about 65 stamens per flower. Monanthotaxis enghiana differs from M. glaucifolia by its densely pubescent branches and leaves with long erect hairs; furthermore, M. enghiana generally has 2 to 5 flowers per inflorescence and M. glaucifolia only one.

It is possible that M. enghiana and M. glaucifolia are synonymous, and Hoekstra et al. (2021) suggested that the latter could merely be a higher altitude variant of the former. However for now, both species are retained before more detailed studies are done ( Hoekstra et al. 2021).

Specimens examined.

South-West Region: Mount 4.78°N, 9.683°E, 26 November 1999, Cheek M. 10154 (K,MO,WAG,YA); AyinKeh 3 km north of Ngomboku , 4.93°N, 9.731°E, 17 December 1999, Ghogue J.-P. 500 (K,P,WAG,YA) .

Figures

Map 7. A Monanthotaxis diclina B Monanthotaxis dielsiana C Monanthotaxis elegans D Monanthotaxis enghiana E Monanthotaxis ferruginea F Monanthotaxis filamentosa G Monanthotaxis foliosa H Monanthotaxis glaucifolia I Monanthotaxis gracilis. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).