Monanthotaxis pellegrinii Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 28, 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 : 227-228

Monanthotaxis pellegrinii Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 28, 1971

Fig. 46 ; Map 8H

≡ Popowia letestui Pellegr., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 96: 213, 1950.

Type.

Gabon. Woleu-Ntem; region de Bitam, Le Testu G.M.P.C. 9028, 12 Mar 1933: lectotype, chosen by Le Thomas (1969b), p. 226: P[P00362618, P00362621, P00362623]; isolectotypes: BM[BM000553843]; BR[BR0000008823779, BR0000008823786, BR0000008823830] .

Description.

Shrub scrambling when young (?) to liana to ca. 3 m tall, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrescent, young foliate branches densely pubescent with dense ascending reddish brown hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long. Leaves: petiole 3-9 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, pubescent to glabrous, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 6.2-22 cm long, 2.8-9 cm wide, elliptic, ovate to obovate, apex acuminate to acute, acumen ca. 1.5 cm long, base cuneate to subcordate, papyraceous, below sparsely pubescent when young and old, above sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib impressed, above pubescent when young, glabrous to pubescent when old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 6 to 11 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, leaf opposed or extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 6 per inflorescence; pedicel 16-55 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent; in fruit; bracts 2, one basal and one upper towards the lower half of pedicel, basal bract ca. 1 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide; upper bract ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, ca. 1 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, ovate, apex acute to rounded, base truncate, sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals entirely covered in bud; outer petals 3, 4.7-5.5 mm long, 4.6-5.8 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, light yellow, margins flat, densely pubescent outside, pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 2.5-4 mm long, 2.8-3 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, margins flat, densely pubescent outside, pubescent inside; stamens 14 to 24, in 1 to 2 rows, 1-2 mm long, oblong; connective absent or much reduced, filament much wider, thecae convergent towards apex, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 10 to 21, ovary ca. 1 mm long, stigma shortly bilobed, acute, glabrous. Fruits unknown.

Distribution.

A central African species from Cameroon to Gabon and Central African Republic; in Cameroon known from Adamaoua region.

Habitat.

A rare species in Cameroon; in montane forests margins, near roads and on river banks. Altitude 1200-1300 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

Endangered (EN) ( Hoekstra et al. 2021).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Monanthotaxis pellegrinii is distinguished by the shape of the 14 to 24 stamens with a filament wider than the connective and the thecae converging apically almost hiding the connectives. In this respect, it resembles Monanthotaxis bicornis , but the latter has appressed yellow-brown hairs on the young foliate branches, versus ascending reddish brown hairs young foliate branches in M. pellegrinii .

Specimens examined.

Adamaoua Region: 21 km NNE de Banyo, 6.77°N, 11.81°E, 08 June 1967, Letouzey R. 8545 (P,YA); Près Gandwa (25 km NNO de Banyo ), 6.93°N, 11.72°E, 14 June 1967, Letouzey R. 8648 (P,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 46. Monanthotaxis bokoli A flowering branch B detail of pubescence, lower leaf side C flower with three petals removed D outer petal, inner side view E inner petal, inner side view F stamen G carpel and longitudinal section of carpel. Monanthotaxis pellegrinii H flowering branch I flower with three petals removed J outer petal, inner side view K inner petal inner side view L stamen M carpel and longitudinal section of carpel A-G from Le Testu 5729 H-M from Le Testu 9028. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; modified from Le Thomas (1969 b, pl. 41, p. 229).