Monanthotaxis capea (E. G. Camus & A. Camus) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 21, 1971

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 : 174-177

Monanthotaxis capea (E. G. Camus & A. Camus) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 21, 1971

Figs 47 , 48 ; Map 6F

≡ Popowia capea E.G. Camus & A. Camus, Bull. Sc. & Ind. Maison Roure-Bertrand Fils, Grasse Ser. II. No. 8: 5, 1913; Enneastemon capeus (E.G. Camus & A. Camus) Ghesq., Rev. Zool. Bot. Africaines 32: 141, 1939.

= Monanthotaxis schweinfurthii var. tisserantii (Le Thomas) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 22, 1971; Enneastemon seretii (De Wild.) Robyns & Ghesq. var. Enneastemon seretii tisserantii Le Thomas, Andeasonia sér. 2: 292, 1963; Enneastemon schweinfurthii (Engl. & Diels) Robyns & Ghesq. var. tisserantii Le Thomas, Fl. Gabon 16: 254, 1969. Type. Central African Republic: Lobaye, Boukoko, Tisserant C. 1710, 10 Apr 1950: holotype: P[P01982418].

Type.

Ivory Coast. no region; “l’est du pays d’Attié”, Angoulvant G. - L. s.n., 1910: lectotype, chosen by Hoekstra et al. (2021), p. 138: P[P00362786]; isotypes: BM[BM001125039]; E[E00624344]; K[K000041008]; P[P00362784, P00362785] .

Description.

Shrub to liana, height unknown, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrescent, young foliate branches densely pubescent with ascending to erect reddish brown hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long. Leaves: petiole 5-8 mm long, 1-3 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 7.4-19.7 cm long, 3.4-7.7 cm wide, oblong to oblanceolate, apex acuminate to acute, acumen 1.5 cm long, base cuneate to rounded, subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib depressed, above sparsely pubescent to glabrous when young and old, below sparsely pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 7 to 12 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young and old leafless branches, axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 4 per inflorescence; pedicel 6-9 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diameter, densely pubescent; in fruit 11-16 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter; basal bracts not seen, upper bract ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, densely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals partly covered in bud; outer petals 3, 3.5-5 mm long, 2-3.8 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, margins flat, densely pubescent outside, pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1.5-2.4 mm wide, rhombic, apex acute, base truncate, light yellow to white, margins flat, pubescent outside, pubescent inside; stamens 8 to 10, in 1 row, 1-2 mm long, clavate, enlarged in the upper part, connective truncate covering the anthers, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 4 to 6, ovary 7-2 mm long, stigma elongate, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 3-6 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter; monocarps 1 to 6, 20-79 mm long, 8-10 mm in diameter, moniliform, ellipsoid, apex ellipsoid, pubescent, tuberculate, weakly torulose, color unknown; seeds 1 to 6 per monocarp, ca. 12 mm long, 7-8 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A west and central African species with a disjunct distribution between Ivory Coast and Cameroon to Gabon, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Cameroon known from Adamaoua and West regions.

Habitat.

A rare species in Cameroon known from two collections; in gallery forests in drier regions, swamp forests, in submontane rain forests and old secondary forest. Altitude 700-1000 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

Vulnerable (VU) ( Hoekstra et al. 2021).

Uses in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Notes.

Monanthotaxis capea belongs to the M. schweinfurthii complex (for details see Le Thomas 1969b, p. 248, under Enneastemon schweinfurthii ). This complex is mainly characterized by the shape of its stamens being enlarged in the upper part, the connective covering the small anthers and a narrow filament. Several species were initially described, then placed as varieties of M. schweinfurthii and finally re-elevated to the rank of species and now includes these species: M. aestuaria P.H.Hoekstra (not in Cameroon), M. barteri (Baill.) Verdc. (not in Cameroon), M. foliosa , M. ochroleuca (Diels) P.H.Hoekstra (not in Cameroon), M. schweinfurthii (Engl. & Diels) Verdc. (not in Cameroon), M. seretii (De Wild.) P.H.Hoekstra (not in Cameroon) following Hoekstra et al. (2021).

In the fruiting stage, Monanthotaxis capea is easily distinguished by its monocarps that are strongly tuberculate-rugulose, unique within the Monanthotaxis schweinfurthii complex. Flowering material however is difficult to distinguish from other species of the Monanthotaxis schweinfurthii complex, but may be recognized by the combination of ascending to erect reddish brown hairs on the young foliate branches, cuneate to rounded leaf bases, and 4 to 6 ovules per carpel.

Specimens examined.

Adamaoua Region: A 4 km au SO de Dir près de Bagodo, 6.42°N, 13.38°E, 30 July 1966, Letouzey R. 7570 (P,YA). West Region : Près Kongi (10 km au NO de Kimi bankim sur route Fouman-Banyo), 6.09°N, 11.26°E, 27 June 1967, Letouzey R. 8738 (P,YA) .

Figures

Map 6. A Letestudoxa lanuginosa B Meiocarpidium oliverianum C Mischogyne gabonensis D Monanthotaxis bicornis E Monanthotaxis bokoli F Monanthotaxis capea G Monanthotaxis cauliflora H Monanthotaxis congoensis I Monanthotaxis couvreurii. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).

Figure 47. Monanthotaxis seretii (De Wild.) P. H. Hoekstra, not in Cameroon A fruiting branch. Monanthotaxis capea B flower bud seen from above C flower bud side view D stamen, outer, inner and side views D carpel E fruiting branch F fruiting branch G seed A from Louis 11405 A-H from Halle 3561. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b, pl. 44, p. 247, pro parte).

Figure 48. Monanthoatxis capea A flower, top view B fruit, note rugulose / verucose monocarp surface A, B Sosef 2238, Gabon. Photos Thomas L. P. Couvreur.