Unona acutiflora Coelocline acutiflora Xylopicrum acutiflorum Unona oxypetala Coelocline Xylopia oxypetala Xylopia oxypetala A revision of Xylopia L. (Annonaceae): the species of Tropical Africa Johnson, David M. Murray, Nancy A. PhytoKeys 2018 2018-04-24 97 1 252 6DFBCF17-E640-5D15-B9C1-C6A120BD6CBA (Dunal) A. Richard, Hist. phys. Cuba, Pl. vasc. 1: 55. 1841 [" 1845 "]. A. Richard, Hist. phys. Cuba, Pl. vasc. 1: 55. 1841 [" 1845 Dunal Magnoliopsida Annonaceae Xylopia CoL Plantae Xylopia acutiflora Magnoliales 121 122 Tracheophyta species acutiflora   Unona acutifloraDunal, Monogr. Anonac. 98, 116, t. 22. Aug-Nov 1817.  Coelocline acutiflora(Dunal) A. de Candolle, Mem. Soc. Phys. Geneve5: 208-209. 1832.  Xylopicrum acutiflorum(Dunal) Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 1: 8. 1891. Type. SIERRA LEONE ["Hab. in Americameridionali"]. Without definite locality, H. Smeathman s. n.(holotype: G-DC! [00201442]; isotypes: BM! [000510953, 000510954, 000511060, right-hand side of sheet], FI [004821]).  Unona oxypetalaCandolle ex Dunal, Monogr. Anonac., Aug-Nov 1817.  Coelocline? Xylopia oxypetala(Candolle ex Dunal) A. de Candolle, Mem. Soc. Phys. Geneve5: 209. 1832.  Xylopia oxypetala(Candolle ex Dunal) Engler & Diels, Monogr. afrik. Pflanzen-Fam. 6: 63. 1901. Type. SIERRA LEONE. Without definite locality, A. Afzelius s. n.(lectotype: B! [100249555], as to the material with flowers; isotypes: BM! [000511060, left-hand side of sheet], FI! [005602]).  Description.  Treeup to 15 m tall, d.b.h. up to 15 cm; bark smooth, pale brown to gray-brown. Twigsbrown, pubescent, with erect hairs 0.7-1.5 mm long mixed with shorter (0.2-0.3 mm) hairs, eventually light gray to gray-brown, glabrate; nodes occasionally with two axillary branches. Leafwith larger blades 5.3-11.7 cm long, 2.3-4.3 cm wide, chartaceous, concolorous to slightly discolorous, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate, the acumen (2.5-) 5-11 mm long, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, sparsely pubescent on the midrib but otherwise glabrous adaxially, sparsely appressed-pubescent with longer hairs on the midrib and margin to glabrate abaxially; midrib plane to slightly impressed adaxially, raised abaxially, secondary veins weakly brochidodromous, 9-14 per side, diverging at 60-70° from the midrib, these and higher order veins slightly raised adaxially, raised and forming a reticulum abaxially; petiole 3.2-5 mm long, canaliculate, pubescent to glabrate. Inflorescencesaxillary, 1-flowered, pubescent; pedicels 3.0-5.5 mm long, 1.2-1.5 mm thick; bracts imbricate on proximal half of pedicel, 3-6, persistent, 1.6-2.6 mm long, obovate, ovate, or orbicular, apex rounded and sometimes apiculate; buds linear-lanceolate, slightly falciform, apex acute to obtuse. Sepalsslightly spreading to spreading at anthesis, 1/5-1/4-connate, 2.2-3.7 mm long, ca. 3 mm wide, coriaceous to fleshy, ovate to triangular, apex acute to occasionally acuminate, sericeous abaxially. Petalswhite to pale yellow, with a patch of red at the base in vivo; outer petals erect to somewhat spreading at anthesis, 19.6-37 mm long, (2.3-) 3.0-3.3 mm wide at base, 1.6-2.0 mm wide at midpoint, coriaceous, linear, apex obtuse, longitudinally ridged abaxially, puberulent but becoming glabrous in the basal third adaxially, sericeous abaxially; inner petals somewhat spreading at anthesis, 16-33 mm long, 2.4-3.2 mm wide at base, 1-1.2 mm wide at midpoint, coriaceous, linear, apex acute, base with undifferentiated margin, longitudinally ridged on both surfaces, pubescent on both surfaces except for the glabrous base. Stamensnumerous; fertile stamens 1.4-1.6 mm long, narrowly oblong to clavate, apex of connective red in vivo, 0.2-0.3 mm long, shieldlike, glabrous, anthers 9-12-locellate, filament 0.4-0.5 mm long; outer staminodes 1.5-1.6 mm long, clavate to narrowly oblong, apex rounded to truncate; inner staminodes 0.9-1.1 mm long, rectangular, apex truncate; staminal cone 1.8-2.2 mm in diameter, 1.0-1.6 mm high, concealing lower half of the ovaries, rim laciniate. Carpels7-13; ovaries ca. 1.2 mm long, oblong, densely pubescent, stigmas connivent, 2.7-3.0 mm long, filiform, glabrous except for an apical tuft of hairs. Torusconcave beneath ovaries but otherwise flat, 1.8-2.5 mm in diameter. Fruitof up to 10 glabrate monocarps borne on a pedicel 5-9 mm long, 2.3-5.6 mm thick, sparsely pubescent to glabrate, often with short dead branch attached and bracts and sepals persistent; torus 5.9-11.5 mm in diameter, 4.2-7.5 mm high, depressed-globose, sunken where monocarps attached. Monocarpswith a green, sometimes reddish-tinged, exterior and a scarlet endocarp in vivo, 2.5-5.1 cm long, 1.1-1.5 cm wide, 1.2-1.3 cm thick, oblong, sometimes weakly torulose, apex obtuse or with an oblique truncate beak 1.5-2 mm long, base contracted into a stipe 3-7 mm long, 2.9-4.5 mm thick, longitudinally ridged or wrinkled, verrucose; pericarp 0.7-1.2 mm thick. Seedsup to 20 per monocarp, in two rows, lying perpendicular to long axis, 11-12 mm long, 6.5-7.9 mm wide, 5.8-5.9 mm thick, ovoid to ellipsoid, wedge-shaped in cross-section, truncate at micropylar end, rounded at chalazal end, brown, smooth, dull, raphe/antiraphe not evident, micropylar scar ca. 3.5 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide, oblong-ovate; sarcotesta color unknown in vivo, forming a waxy crust on dried seeds; aril absent.   Figure 33.  Xylopia unguiculata,  X. acutiflora, and  X. piratae. A-D, L-O  X. unguiculata AMonocarp, lateral view BSeed CLeaves DFlower, lateral view L, MStaminodes, abaxial view NStamen, abaxial view OCarpel, lateral view with ovary wall cut away to show arrangement of ovules E-G  X. acutiflora EMonocarp, lateral view, attached to pedicel FLeaves GFlower, lateral view H-K  X. piratae HFlower bud, lateral view ILeaves JFlower, lateral view KFruit. A-Bfrom Le Testu 1179(BM) C-Dfrom Reitsma & Reitsma 1923(NY) E-Gfrom Beentje 879(WAG) H-Jfrom de Koning 4999(WAG) Kfrom de Wilde 356(P) L-Ofrom McPherson 16960A(MO).  Phenology. Specimens with flowers have been collected from February to June and in September, and with fruits in February and from August to October.  Distribution (Fig. 34). Occurs in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Ivory Coast, in both primary and secondary forests at low to middle elevations.  Local names. Elo blanc (  Aubreville90), gbaa ( Yallah 51).   Figure 34.Distributions of  Xylopia acutiflora,  X. dinklagei,  X. monticola,  X. piratae,  X. thomsonii, and  X. unguiculata. Bolder lines represent country borders, fainter lines lakes and major rivers.  Additional specimens examined.    GUINEA. Environs de Forecariah, bosquet de Kankannara, Jun 1937(fl),   Jacques-Felix1715(P).   SIERRA LEONE. Kabala, Mt. Loma, Seisikoro, 6 Dec 1965(st), Adam 22396(MO); Falaba, 2 Apr 1914(fl), Aylmer 29(MO); Gola Forest, 25 Apr 1952(buds), Small 639(B, MO); Gola Forest, 14 May 1952(fl), Small 664(MO).   LIBERIA. Yekepa, Mt. Nimba, 13 Oct 1969(st),  Adam24221(MO);  Yekepa, Yekepa, Mt. Nimba( Mt. Yuelliton), 25 May 1970(fl),  Adam25678(K, MO); Yekepa, Mt. Nimba( Mt. Gangra), 21 Oct 1971(fr),  Adam26395(MO, P); Yekepa, Nimba, New Camp Grassfield, 14 May 1973(fl),  Adam27551(MO, P, PRE, WAG); Eastern Province, Tchien District, Ziah Town[ "Zeahtown"], 1 Aug 1947(fr),  Baldwin6970(K, MO); Monserrado Co., Bomi Hills, 3 Feb 1950(fl),  Baldwin14086(K, MO, NY, US); Gola-Yoma National Forest, Bomi Hills, 6 Feb 1966(fl),  van Meer390(MO, WAG); Nimbaarea, 10 Apr 1962(fl),  Voorhoeve1089(B, M, MO, WAG-2 sheets); Gola National Forest, ca. 15 kmNE of Bomi Hills, 17 Apr 1962(fl),  de Wilde& Voorhoeve3833(A, B, BR, K, P, WAG-3 sheets); Mt. Bele, 16 Apr 1965 (fl),  Yallah51(K, P).   IVORY COAST.  Tai(  Aubreville1959), without definite locality, 9 Feb 1957(fr),   Aubreville90(P-3 sheets);  10 kmESE of Tai, 05°50'N, 07°22'W, 6 Sep 1975(fl, fr), Beentje 879(WAG-2 sheets); vicinibus oppidi Tienkula, ad occidentem reipublicae, 1 Mar 1962(fl), Bernardi 8315(A, G-2 sheets, K, M, MO, US-2 sheets);  80 kmS of Soubre, 3 Apr 1968(fl),  Geerling& Bokdam2478(K, MO, WAG-2 sheets);  Tai, 11 Sep 1975(fl, fr),  de Koning5996(MO, WAG-2 sheets); Guiglo,  Tai, 05°52'N, 7°27'W, 1 Mar 1982(fl),   StaeubleNS0460(MO).   Xylopia acutiflorais one of six species belonging to a geographically widespread complex of species that vary in habit, indument, and flower and fruit morphology, but all formerly considered as representing a single species.  Xylopia acutifloras. s. is a small tree, with a mix of short and long hairs on the twigs, petals reaching 37 mmin length, and short broad monocarps with two rows of seeds. It is restricted to a relatively small area of West Africa in lowland and lower montane forests. It overlaps in Liberiawith  X. dinklagei, but that species is a shrub or liana with uniform short hairs on the twigs, petals reaching only 13 mmin length, and longer and narrower monocarps with a single row of seeds.  Xylopia pirataefrom the Ivory Coastand Ghanalikewise differs in being a liana with narrow monocarps, but has variable twig indument like  X. acutifloraand much longer petals, reaching 73 mmin length. Information about  Xylopia acutiflorapertaining to plants from areas east of Ivory Coastprobably applies to other species. In most cases, these refer to segregate species of the larger  X. acutifloracomplex, but the report of  X. acutiflorafor the Flora Zambesiacaarea ( Robson 1960) is based on the specimen Holmes H.1273(K), which isnot a member of this group at all. It is most similar to  X. elliotiiand is discussed under that species. The ecology of  X. acutiflorais largely unknown. In TaiNational Park in western Ivory Coast, the seeds of  Xylopia acutiflorawere eaten and spat out by the monkey,  Colobus polykomo, which fed on the seeds of other  Xylopiaspecies as well (  Koneet al. 2008). A new rust species,  Sphaerophragmium xylopiaeBeenken & R. Berndt, was recently described from teliospores found attached to the specimen Bernardi 8315( Beenken and Berndt 2010). This rust genus seems to be confined to Fabaceaeand Annonaceae. Historically, there has been confusion over the application of the name  Xylopia acutiflora. Bentham (1862)accepted three African species of  Xylopia,  X. aethiopica,  X. acutiflora, and  X. parviflora, the latter being a new combination based on the  Uvaria parvifloraRich. Bentham expressed doubt, however, about the distinctness of the latter two species, and even whether the plant described as  Unona oxypetalaDun. was distinct from them. The specimens cited by Bentham under both  X. acutiflora(Barter from the confluence of the Quorra and Chadda Rivers, Chr. Smith from the Congo) and  X. parviflora(Vogel and Barter from the Niger, G. Mann from the Bagroo River) are all  Xylopia longipetala. Oliver (1868)maintained Bentham'sconcept, and it is not surprising that Vallot (1882)found it necessary to argue that there were two distinct species, and that Bentham had confused them. Vallot proposed  Xylopia dunalianaVallot as a replacement name for  X. acutiflora(under which he placed  Unona oxypetalain synonymy), and he retained the name  X. parviflorafor the second species, but  X. dunalianaVallot is a superfluous name and illegitimate. The type material of  Unona acutiflorain G-DC comprises 4 sheets of a collection made by Smeathman, each sheet with slightly different labeling but all seeming to contribute to the description and illustration in Dunal (1817)and so here regarded as the holotype. There are three sheets of a Smeathman collection at BM that are considered to be isotypes. As with the combination  Xylopia aethiopicamade by Richard, we follow the conclusion of Brizicky (1962)in accepting the year of publication of the combination  Xylopia acutifloraas 1841, rather than the printed date of 1845. Dunal published Candolle'smanuscript name  Unona oxypetalain the same publication as  Unona acutiflora( Dunal 1817), which was based on a specimen collected by Afzelius and seen by Candolle in the Lambert Herbarium. The two names therefore have equal priority, but the name  X. acutiflorahas historically been used for the species. According to Miller (1970), the specimens of Afzelius in the Lambert Herbarium were purchased by William Pamplin, working on commission for Wilhelm Friedrich Klotzsch, who acquired the specimens for the Berlin herbarium. An Afzelius specimen, identifiable as this species, survives at B, but the specimen has both flowers and fruits, and only flowers are mentioned in the protologue. The fruits and seeds are not attached to the twigs, and it is possible that they became associated with the specimen later. We initially labeled the B sheet as an isotype, pending a better understanding of the distribution of the Lambert Herbarium collections, but it is now clear that this specimen, and specifically the branches with flowers attached, is more appropriately designated as a lectotype. 1937-06 de Kankan, Jacques-Felix GUINEA Environs de Forecariah 1 1914-04-02 1965-12-06 1914-04-02 SIERRA LEONE Kabala Seisikoro Mt. Loma 1 1947-08-01 1973-05-14 1947-08-01 Hills, Baldwin, van Meer, Voorhoeve, de Wilde, Yallah LIBERIA Monserrado Co. Mt. Yekepa 1 Nimba 1957-02-09 1982-03-01 1957-02-09 Geerling, Bokdam, de Koning, Staeuble NS IVORY COAST Tai 5.866667 Tai 1305 -7.45 Aubreville 1