Hexalobus crispiflorus A. Rich., Sagra, Hist. phys. Cuba, Bot. Pl. vasc. 1: 43, 1845

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 : 121-125

Hexalobus crispiflorus A. Rich., Sagra, Hist. phys. Cuba, Bot. Pl. vasc. 1: 43, 1845

Figs 31 , 32 ; Map 4F

= Hexalobus grandiflorus Benth., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 23(3): 468, 1862. Type. Cameroon. South-West Region, "Ambas Bay", Mann G. 709, 1861: lectotype, here designated, sheet here designated: K[K000582047]; isolectotypes: GH n.v.; K[K000105530, K000105529]; P[P00315844, P00315845].

= Hexalobus grandiflorus Benth. var. inaequilaterifolius Engl., Monogr. Afrik. Pflanzen.-Fam. 6: 57, 1901. Type. Republic of Congo: Cuvette, "Bonga, Sanga", Schlechter F.R.R. 12685, Aug 1899: holotype: B n.v.; isotypes: BR[BR0000006915513]; WRSL n.v.

= Hexalobus lujae De Wild., Bull. Jard. Bot. État Brux. 4: 389, 1914. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kasai-Oriental, Sankuru, Luja E.P. s.n., Jun 1910: lectotype, sheet here designated: BR[BR0000008800336]; isotypes: BR[BR0000008800008, BR0000008799906].

= Hexalobus crispiflorus A.Rich. subsp. strigulosus R.E.Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 10: 71, 1930. Type. Cameroon. no location, Deistel H. 99, no date: holotype: B[B 10 0184706]; isotypes: B[B 10 0184707, B 10 0184708, B 10 0184706, B 10 0184709, B 10 0184710, B 10 0184711]; GH; M[M0089315, M0089316]; P[P00486245].

= Hexalobus mbula Exell, J. Bot. 70, suppl. Polypet.: 206, 1932. Type. Angola. Cabinda, Buco Zau, Fazenda Alsyra, Gossweiler J. 6939, 20 Jan 1917: lectotype, designated by Botermans et al. (2011), p. 41: BM n.v.; isolectotypes: COI[COI00077206]; LISC[LISC000086, LISC000089, LISC000085, LISC000088, LISC000087].

Type.

Guinea. Labé; Fouta D’hiallon [Djallon], Heudelot, J. 865, Apr 1838: lectotype, sheet here designated: P[P00315839]; isotypes: P[P00315842, P00486270, P00315841]; G[G00011589] .

Description.

Tree, 25-40 m tall, d.b.h. up to 100 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent, trunk deeply fluted. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches densely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-8 mm long, 1-3 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 7.2-25 cm long, 2.5-8.5 cm wide, ovate to obovate, apex acuminate, acumen 0.5-1.5 cm long, base cuneate to cordate, coriaceous, below glabrous when young and old, above sparsely pubescent when young, sparsely pubescent when old, concolorous; midrib sunken or flat, above pubescent when young and old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 9 to 19 pairs; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless or young foliate branches, axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 2 whorls, 1 to 3 per inflorescence; pedicel 12-25 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous; in fruit 10-30 mm long, 4-5 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 5 to 6, several basal and two (sometimes fused) towards the upper half of the pedicel, basal bracts 3-9 mm long, 2-5 mm wide; upper bracts 8-12 mm long, 4-9 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 12-21 mm long, 9-12 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, brown, densely pubescent outside, densely pubescent inside, margins flat; petals basally fused, tube 4-10 mm long, purple, inner and outer whorl not differentiated, sub equal; lobes 37-80 mm long, 6-21 mm wide, elliptic, apex rounded, green to bright yellow, margins wavy, pubescent outside, pubescent with glabrous base inside, plicate; stamens 190 to 210, in 10 to 13 rows, 3-5 mm long, elongated; connective hemispheric, glabrous, cream; staminodes absent; carpels free, 7 to 16, ovary 2-5 mm long, stigma bilobed, slightly capitate, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, ca. 2 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter; monocarps 1 to 8, (42)50-95 mm long, 35-65 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to oblong, apex rounded, pubescent to glabrous, smooth, not ribbed, rusty-brown; seeds 12 to 36 per monocarp, 28-40 mm long, 17-20 mm in diameter, flattened ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A widespread species, known from Guinea-Bissau to the Democratic Republic of Congo; in Cameroon known from the East, South, Central, Littoral and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A common species across the forested region of the country; in lowland or premontane periodically or non-inundated, primary or secondary rain forests, including gallery forests in savanna. Altitude 0-1000 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

évota, pota (dial. Bibaya, baka), owé (dial. Ewondo, Letouzey 4433); Ow (dial. Bulu, Ndoum 129); Owoe (South Province, Mildbraed 5652); Pota (dial. Bambindjere?, Harris, Fay 516, 558, 883, 1518).

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) ( Cosiaux et al. 2019m).

Uses in Cameroon.

dyes and tannins: lycosides, saponims, steroids.

Uses in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Notes.

Hexalobus crispiflorus is morphologically close to H. salicifolius , both being tall trees with deeply fluted trunks, similar flowers and growing in similar habitats. Hexalobus crispiflorus is however distinguished by its larger leaves (7.2-25 cm versus 5-10 cm long), more numerous carpels (7 to 16 versus 2 to 4 in H. salicifolius ) and smooth monocarps (versus verrucose in H. salicifolius ).

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Ndanan 2 to Mefou river, 3.62°N, 11.56°E, 13 October 2002, Cheek M. 11064 (K,YA); Ottotomo Forest Reserve 1 km after reserve base near small loggers road, 3.66°N, 11.28°E, 25 June 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 446 (WAG,YA); Ottotomo Forest Reserve 3 km after reserve base near small loggers road, 3.66°N, 11.28°E, 08 September 2013, Couvreur T.L.P. 506 (WAG,YA); Ottotomo Forest Reserve 45 km South of Yaoundé 5 km on path into reserve, 3.66°N, 11.28°E, 15 January 2015, Couvreur T.L.P. 666 (WAG,YA). East Region: 73 km south of Yokadouma 30 km after Ngato 15 km after river ALPICAM 'base de vie’ then 40 km on forestry road starting 4 km before Maséa village, 3.16°N, 14.71°E, 04 March 2019, Couvreur T.L.P. 1197 (MPU,WAG,YA); Sangha R (Ndakan), 2.78°N, 16°E, 08 March 1988, Fay J.M. 8299 (F,MO,P); West side of Sangha River, 2.35°N, 16.13°E, 01 November 1988, Harris D.J. 1518 (K,MO); West side of Sangha River, 2.35°N, 16.13°E, 02 August 1988, Harris D.J. 883 (MO,P); Rives de la Sangha près Lidjombo 120 km au N de Ouesso, 2.61°N, 16°E, 08 April 1971, Letouzey R. 10614 (P,YA); A 15 km au Sud de Djouo (20 km E de Somalomo dur le Dja), 3.32°N, 12.93°E, 25 February 1962, Letouzey R. 4433 (P,YA); South Cameroon Forest Area Molundu District Bange forest between Lokomo Bumba and Bange, 2.83°N, 15.25°E, 22 February 1911, Mildbraed G.W.J. 4539 (HBG); South Cameroon Forest Area Molundu District between Yokadouma (Post Plehn) and Assobam, 3.4°N, 14.38°E, 21 April 1911, Mildbraed G.W.J. 4996 (HBG); Réserve de Biosphère du Dja vers 500 m de la station de Bouamir, 3.19°N, 12.81°E, 27 May 2001, Senterre B. 1641 (BR); Layon nord-sud à partir de Djolimpoun (entre Somalomo-Malen), 3.33°N, 12.87°E, 13 September 1993, Sonké B. 591 (YA). Littoral Region: km 11 Loum-Solé road, 4.7°N, 9.816°E, 24 May 1972, Leeuwenberg A.J.M. 9904 (K,MO,WAG,YA). South Region: Hill roughly between Nkolandom and Nkoemvone, 2.8°N, 11.16°E, 17 January 1975, de Wilde J.J.F.E 7909 (B,BR,C,K,MO,P,U,WAG,YA); Ebolowa, 2.91°N, 11.31°E, 01 June 1911, Mildbraed G.W.J. 5652 (HBG); Ebom, 3.1°N, 10.71°E, 24 September 1996, Ndoum D. 129 (KRIBI,WAG); Kribi, 2.92°N, 9.900°E, 01 October 1997, van der Burgt X.M. 232 (KRIBI,WAG); Bisyang, 2.98°N, 9.968°E, 04 June 2006, van Velzen R. 90 (BR,G,MO,WAG). South-West Region: Melon to Nyandon ca 2 km, 4.93°N, 9.533°E, 28 November 1998, Cheek M. 9716 (K,WAG,YA); Nyasoso village on max’s trail to Mt 4.82°N, 9.701°E, 05 April 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 1062 (WAG,YA); Ambas Bay, 4.01°N, 9.2°E, 1861, Mann G. 709 (GH,K,P).

Figures

Map 4. A Duguetia dilabens B Duguetia staudtii C Greenwayodendron glabrum D Greenwayodendron suaveolens E Hexalobus bussei F Hexalobus crispiflorus G Hexalobus monopetalus H Hexalobus salicifolius I Isolona campanulata. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 31. Hexalobus crispiflorus A flowering branch B flower bud C receptacle, petals removed D stamen, front view E three carpels different views, one with longitudinal section showing ovules F pedicel with one monocarp, note smooth surface G longitudinal section of monocarp showing seeds. Hexalobus salicifolius H branch I a single detached monocarp, note verrucose surface A, C-F from Le Testu 8838 B from Le Testu 693 G, H from Chevalier 7471 I from Le Testu 6387 J from Zenker 2268. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b, pl. 14, p. 85).

Figure 32. Hexalobus crispiflorus A base of trunk, note deep furrows B base of leaf blade, upper view C base of leaf blade, lower view D flower, side view E flower, top view F flowering branch G fruit and leaves, note smooth monocarp surface A Couvreur 506, Ottotomo, Cameroon B, C Couvreur 1197, Masea, Cameroon D-F Couvreur 666, Ottotomo, Cameroon G Couvreur 446, Ottotomo, Cameroon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.