Uvariopsis bakeriana (Hutch. & Daltz.) Robyns & Ghesq., Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Ser. B liii. 320 (1933)

Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J., Mbago, Frank M., Couderc, Marie, Gaudeul, Myriam, Grall, Aurelie, Loup, Caroline, Wieringa, Jan J., Sonke, Bonaventure & Couvreur, Thomas L. P., 2023, Phylogenomic inference of the African tribe Monodoreae (Annonaceae) and taxonomic revision of Dennettia, Uvariodendron and Uvariopsis, PhytoKeys 233, pp. 1-200 : 1

Uvariopsis bakeriana (Hutch. & Daltz.) Robyns & Ghesq., Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Ser. B liii. 320 (1933)

Figs 48 , 49A-E , 50

≡ Tetrastemma bakerianum Hutch. & Dalziel, Kew Bull. 1927: 153 (1927) & Fl. W. Trop. Afr. I. 57 (1927). Type. Nigeria - Cross River State • P.A. Talbot 1517 (holotype: K! (K000199043); isotype: BM! (BM000554076)); Calabar, Oban; 5°19'N, 8°34'E; 1912.

Description.

Tree 3-7 m tall, D.B.H 1.8-8 cm; young branches pubescent to puberulent, old branches sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Petiole 2-6 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, pubescent to glabrous. Leaf lamina 150-340 mm long, 40-90 mm wide, length:width ratio (2.27) 3.3-5, oblong to obovate, coriaceous, base rounded to subcordate, apex acuminate, acumen 6-32 mm long, surface above glabrous, surface below glabrous; midrib impressed above, raised below, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent to glabrous below; secondary veins 10-26 pairs, brochidodromous to weakly brochidodromous, impressed above, raised below; tertiary veins reticulate. Flowers unisexual, male and female flowers similar, on same individuals (plant monoecious). Flower buds long conical. Male and female inflorescences borne on trunk, composed of 1 to 2 flowers. Peduncle inconspicuous. Flower pedicel 2-8 mm long, 0.5-2 mm in diameter, pubescent. Bracts 1 (2) at base of the pedicel, 1-2 mm long, 1-4 mm wide, triangular, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Sepals 2, 1-3.5 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, triangular, free, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, brown. Petals 4, 24-46 mm long, 3-8 mm wide, length:width ratio 4-10, narrowly ovate to linear, valvate, pubescent to sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous and highly verrucose inside, light red to dull yellowish brown outside, bright pink to dark pinkish red inside. Male flowers: stamens 400 to 600, 0.1-0.6 mm long, 0.1-0.3 mm wide, anthers linear, connective prolongation truncate or absent. Female flowers: carpels 15 to 40, 1.5-2.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, densely pubescent, free; stigma coiled. Fruiting pedicel 5-12 mm long, 2-2.5 mm in diameter, pubescent. Monocarps, 2-5, 21-50 mm long, 15-23 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.2-3.5, cylindrical, wrinkled, pubescent to glabrous, bright red, sessile to shortly stipitate; stipe up to 4 mm long, 1-3 mm wide, pubescent. Seeds 6-16 per monocarp, biseriate, 15-22 mm long, 8-12 mm wide, ellipsoid.

Distribution.

Endemic to Lower Guinean Domain of the Guineo-Congolian Region: Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko island), Nigeria.

Habitat and ecology.

Lowland mature or old secondary rain forests. Soil: generally sandy. Altitude: 50-800 m asl.

Phenology.

Flowers collected from January to April. Fruits collected from March to June.

Notes.

This species resembles Up. citrata , Up. korupensis and Up. submontana in having large obovate leaves (up to 35 cm long), with rounded to subcordate bases. Up. bakeriana differs in having short flower pedicel (2-8 mm, vs. 0-2 mm in Up. citrata , 6-70 mm in Up. korupensis and 25-60 mm in Up. submontana ), and with its petals being narrowly ovate to linear, with a length:width ratio comprised between 4 and 10 (vs. ca. less than 5 in Up. citrata and Up. submontana ), free (vs. fused in Up. korupensis ), and bright pinkish to deep red petals (vs. cream to brownish in Up. citrata and Up. korupensis ) (Table 5 ).

Conservation status.

This species has been assessed as Least Concern LC ( Cosiaux et al. 2019b). It is known from several occurrences in western Cameroon, Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea) and eastern Nigeria, and from only one occurrence in western Nigeria. Here we estimate its EOO at 68,842 km2 and its AOO at 92 km2.

Additional specimens examined.

Cameroon - Littoral • D.W. Thomas 4300 (K, MO), Korup National Park. Forest along footpath from Ndian River at PAMOL field 69 and transect P; 5°01'N, 8°50'E; alt. 50 m; 24 Jan. 1985 - South-West Region • C. Farron 7297 (P), South Bakundu Forest, Kendongi ; 4°26'30.63'N, 9°20'43.88'E; 14 May. 1970 • C.F.A. Onochie 9305 (K), South Bakundu Forest ; 4°24'06.26'N, 9°26'32.16'E; 12 Mar. 1948 • D.W. Thomas 1086 (K); Ndian, Korup Forest Reserve, Korup Reserve , path between transect P&Q; 4°59'N, 8°51'E; Mar. 1979 • D.W. Thomas 3210 (K, MO), forest in the Korup National Park ; 5°03'N, 8°48'E; alt. 50 m; 28 Feb. 1984 • D.W. Thomas 3336 (MO), North-eastern corner of Korup National Park; near Baro village ; 5°16'N, 9°11'E; alt. 200 m; 24 Mar. 1984 • D.W. Thomas 5606 (MO), along transect P, southern end of Korup National Park ; 5°11'N, 8°51'E; alt. 50 m; 16 Feb. 1986 • D.W. Thomas 7835 (MO), Ajaman, near northern edge of Korup National Park ; 5°20'N, 8°54'E; alt. 200 m; 22 May. 1988 • G.K. Gottsberger 100307/11 (ULM, WAG), c. 100 m from Banyang Mbo Research Station ; 5°08'N, 9°30'E; 10 Mar. 2007 • J.P.M. Brenan 9305 (K), South Bakundu Forest ; 4°29'N, 9°23'E; 12 Mar. 1948 • J.P.M. Brenan 9409 (BM, K), Banga, S. Bakundu F.R; 4°24'N, 9°27'E; 13 Mar. 1948 • M.R. Cheek 7234 (K, SCA, YA); Ndian, Mundemba, Korup National Park , nature trail near suspension bridge.; 4°59'N, 8°51'E; alt. 50 m; 01 Feb. 1995 • R.E. Gereau 5195 (MA, MO, WAG); Ndian , 2-2.5 km S of Six Cup Garri Creek; 5°02'N, 8°53'E; alt. 100 m; 06 Mar. 1993 • R.G. Letouzey 13841 (P), entre Etinkem et Nfaitok , 10 km N Nguti; 5°25'39.72'N, 9°25'14.26'E; 15 Jun. 1975 • S. Cable 2150 (K, YA); Ndian, Korup National Park, Ekundu Kundu, path to Ekon 1, 5 km from Ekundu-Kundu ; 5°04'50.32'N, 8°54'29.81'E; alt. 300 m; 25 Apr. 1996 • S. Cable 2256 (K, YA); Ndian, Korup National Park, path from Ekundu Kundu to Faba , about 3 km; 5°02'53.41'N, 8°56'25.12'E; alt. 300 m; 27 Apr. 1996 • T.L.P. Couvreur 1000 (MPU, WAG, YA), Bayang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary, after Mbu river ; 5°21'09.69'N, 9°30'09.23'E; alt. 259 m; 25 Mar. 2016 • T.L.P. Couvreur 1015 (MPU, WAG, YA), Bayang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary, after Mbu river ; 5°21'22.04'N, 9°30'05.8'E; alt. 250 m; 26 Mar. 2016 • T.L.P. Couvreur 1045 (MPU, WAG, YA), Mount Cameroon National Park, on the Bomona trail, behind Bomona village, 10 km NW from Idenau ; 4°17'41.96'N, 9°05'53.93'E; alt. 856 m; 03 Apr. 2016 • W. Mukete 6 (K, MO, SCA, YA), Kosse, along the path to the Reserve ; 4°19'48.72'N, 9°02'52.08'E; 24 Apr. 1996 . Equatorial Guinea - Bioko Sur • W.R.Q. Luke 11907 (K, MA), Moaba. Pt 140-141; 3°18'20.6'N, 8°39'33.8'E; alt. 8 m; 15 Mar. 2007 . Nigeria - Cross River State • C.F.A. Onochie FHI36140 X (K); Calabar, Oban Group Forest Reserve, Orem ; 5°36'N, 8°35'E; 23 Jan. 1957 • J. Ntui 944 (MO), Oban Hills; 5°33'30'N, 8°34'12'E; alt. 600 m; 19 Dec. 1955 • M.C. Ejiofor FHI21870 (K); Calabar, Oban Group Forest Reserve ; 5°36'N, 8°35'E; 24 Apr. 1952 • P.A. Talbot 1516 (BM); Calabar, Oban; 5°19'N, 8°34'E; 1912 • P.A. Talbot 446 (BM), Oban; 5°13'23.28'N, 8°33'06.9'E; 1909 • P.W. Richards 5166 (K, K, P); Calabar , Oban ; 5°13'27.54'N, 8°33'10.42'E; alt. 244 m; 13 Mar. 1955 - Ogun State • A.P.D. Jones FHI17275 (P), c. 1/2 ml W. of Oaho Enclave, E.B. 34 Line 7. Road trace of U.A.C; 7°16'N, 4°12'E; 05 Apr. 1946 .

Figures

Figure 48. Uvariopsis bakeriana (Hutch. & Daltz.) Robyns & Ghesq A trunk with flowers B leaf, upper side C leaf base, lower side D leaf base, upper side E flowers borne on trunk F male flower, one petal removed, side view G male flower, top view H flower bud, side view I flower, side view J female flower, top view. A-D, F, H Couvreur 1000 E, I Couvreur 1045 G, J Couvreur 1015. Photos Thomas Couvreur.

Figure 49. Uvariopsis bakeriana (Hutch. & Daltz.) Robyns & Ghesq A leaf, top view B detail of female flower, two petals removed C petal, inner view D carpel, side view, front view and detail of ovules E monocarp Uvariopsis dioica (Diels) Robyns & Ghesq F leaf, top view G male flowering pedicels and flowers H detail of male flower, two petals removed I stamen J female flowering pedicel K detail of female flower, all four petals removed L carpel, front view and detail of ovules M fruits. A-E from Brenan 9409 F-L from Keay 28066 M from Letouzey 4230. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris.

Figure 50. Distribution map of Uvariopsis bakeriana. Shades of grey represent elevation, from white (sea level) to darker grey (higher elevation). The inset shows the extent of the map over Africa.