Monanthotaxis montana (Engl. & Diels) P.H.Hoekstra, Taxon 66: 15, 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 : 221-223

Monanthotaxis montana (Engl. & Diels) P.H.Hoekstra, Taxon 66: 15, 2017

Figs 59 , 64 ; Map 8F

≡ Unona montana Engl. & Diels, Notizbl. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 296, 1899; Oxymitra montana (Engl. & Diels) Sprague & Hutch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew: 155, 1916; Richella montana (Engl. & Diels) R.E.Fr., in Prantl. & Engler Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 17a (2): 139, 1959; Friesodielsia montana (Engl. & Diels) Steenis, Blumea 12: 360 1964.

= Unona glauca Engl. & Diels (non Zipp.), Notizbl. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 296, 1988; Oxymitra soyauxii Sprague & Hutch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 6: 155, 1916; Richella soyauxii (Sprague & Hutch.) R.E.Fr., in Prantl. & Engler Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2, 17a (2): 139, 1959. - Friesodielsia soyauxii (Sprague & Hutch.) Steenis, Blumea 12: 361, 1964. Type. Gabon. Estuaire, Sibange farm, Soyaux H. 203, 6 Feb 1881: lectotype, designated by Guo et al. (2017b), p. 15: B[B100153059]; isolectotype: K[K000198946].

= Oxymitra mortehanii De Wild., Pl. Bequaert. 1: 472, 1922. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mongala, Dundusana, Mortehan M.G. 512, Sep 1913: holotype: BR[BR000008800459, BR000008800060, BR000008800787].

Type.

Cameroon. Central Region ; Yaoundé-Station, Zenker, G.A. 431, 11 Jan 1894: holotype: B[B100153061] .

Description.

Shrub to liana, up to 7 m tall, d.b.h. up to 1 cm. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrescent, young foliate branches densely pubescent with dense appressed to ascending reddish brown hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long. Leaves: petiole 3-6 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 5.5-20 cm long, 2.8-6.7 cm wide, elliptic to oblanceolate, apex acuminate to acute, acumen 1.5 cm long, base subcordate, subcoriaceous, below pubescent when young and old, above sparsely pubescent to glabrous when young and old, grey when dried, discolorous, whitish below; midrib impressed, above sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 7 to 13 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 4 per inflorescence; pedicel 13-33 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent; in fruit 28-38 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diameter; basal bract ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; upper bract ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, reflexed at anthesis, 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, broadly elliptic to broadly ovate, apex acute, 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, 6-15 mm long, 5.4-6.7 mm wide, ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, yellow-green and red at the base, margins flat, sparsely pubescent outside, pubescent with a glabrous base inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 5.8-7.5 mm long, 4.5-9 mm wide, cordate, apex obtuse, base truncate, margins flat, glabrous outside, glabrous inside; stamens 36 to 48, in 5 rows, ca. 1 mm long, linear to oblong; connective truncate, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 11 to 14, ovary 1-2 mm long, stigma globose, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 3-8 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter; monocarps 4 to 11, 12-33 mm long, 4-9 mm in diameter, moniliform, ellipsoid, apex rounded to apiculate, pubescent to glabrous, verrucose, constricted around seeds when more than 1, yellow with red stripes or dull red when ripe; seeds 1 to 3 per monocarp, 11-12 mm long, 5-6 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A central African species from Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic and Angola; in Cameroon known from the Central and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A rare species in Cameroon, only known from two collections; in primary or old secondary rain forests, swamp forests, gallery forests, on rocky soil and along river banks. Altitude: 500-700 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) ( Hoekstra et al. 2021).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Monanthotaxis montana is distinguished by the upper side of the leaf blade which is grey in dried material, sepals that are small (1-2 mm long) and reflexed at anthesis, and stamens 36 to 48 in 5 rows.

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Yaoundé, 3.86°N, 11.51°E, 1894, Zenker G.A. 431 (B). South-West Region: Njonji, 4.13°N, 9.033°E, 17 April 1997, Nning J. 360 (K,YA) .

Figures

Map 8. A Monanthotaxis hexamera B Monanthotaxis hirsuta C Monanthotaxis klainei D Monanthotaxis laurentii E Monanthotaxis letouzeyi F Monanthotaxis montana G Monanthotaxis paniculata H Monanthotaxis pellegrinii I Monanthotaxis pynaertii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 59. Monanthotaxis gracilis A Flowering branch B flower, side view C sepal, inner view D outer petal, inner view E inner petal; inner view F stamens, side and front views G carpel, side view and detail of ovules H fruit, note persistent sepals. Monanthotaxis montana I flowering branch J flower, side view K inner petal, inner view L flower, all petals removed, side view M stamen, front view N carpel, side view and details of ovules O fruiting branch P seed, side view. Monanthotaxis hirsuta Q flowering branch R inner petal, inner view S stamen, front view T fruiting branch A from Meikle 956 B, C from Akpabla 1106 D-G from Dalziel 1096 H from FHI 28906 I-P unknown Q-S from Chevalier 14817 T from FHI 19738. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris.

Figure 64. Monanthotaxis letouzeyi A base of leaf blade, upper view B cauliflorous inflorescence C leaf, upper view D base of leaf blade, lower view. Monanthotaxis montana E flower, basal view, note small sepals F flower, side view G leaves, top view H base of leaf blade, upper side I base of leaf blade, lower side A-D Couvreur 458, Lele, Cameroon E-I Couvreur 891, Gabon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.