Piptostigma pilosum Oliv., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 8: 159, 1964

Figs 92, 94; Map 12A

= Piptostigma giganteum Hutch. & Dalziel, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew: 151, 1927. Type. Nigeria. Cross River State, Oban District, Talbot P.A. 1336, no date: holotype: K[K000199007]; isotype: K[K000199006].

= Piptostigma latipetalum Baker f.; nom. nud.

Type.

Nigeria. Cross River State; Old Calabar, Thomson W.C. 61, no date: holotype: K[K000199008]; isotype: B[B100154081] .

Description.

Tree, up to 12 m tall, d.b.h. 8-10 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches densely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-4 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, cylindrical, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 25-41 cm long, 9-17.2 cm wide, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or narrowly obovate to obovate, apex acuminate, acumen 1.1-2.7 cm long, base rounded to cordate, subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib impressed, above densely pubescent when young and old, below densely pubescent when young, densely pubescent when old; secondary veins 20 to 28 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; inflorescence cauliflorous or on old leafless branches, axillary, peduncle like base ca. 10 mm long, axial internodes 3-23 mm long, compact to sublax, sympodial rachis 35-50 mm long. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 3 per inflorescence; pedicel 10-25 mm long, ca. 3 mm in diameter, tomentose; in fruit 10 mm long, 3 mm in diameter, tomentose; basal bract ca. 12 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide; upper bract ca. 12 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 7-8 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, brown, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals shorter than inner; outer petals 3, 7-8 mm long, 3-3.5 mm wide, obovate, apex acuminate, base truncate, light yellow cream to red towards the base, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 30-60 mm long, 8-15 mm wide, elliptic, apex acute, base truncate, pink, margins wavy, pubescent to densely pubescent outside, pubescent inside; stamens numerous, in 6 to 8 rows, 1 mm long, broad; connective discoid, glabrous, red; staminodes absent; carpels free, 5 to 8, ovary ca. 1 mm long, stigma globose, pubescent. Monocarps sessile, 2 to 5, 13-30 mm long, 8-18 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to ovoid, apex cuspidate, pubescent, finely warty, longitudinally ribbed with ca. 6 ribs, light yellow to orange when ripe; seeds up to 7 per monocarp, 1.5-3.5 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A central African species, from south eastern Nigeria to Gabon; in Cameroon known from East, South and mainly South-West regions.

Habitat.

A fairly uncommon species; in the understory of primary and old secondary rain forests. Altitude 50-390 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) (Cosiaux et al. 2019a q).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Piptostigma pilosum resembles P. macrophyllum because of the large size of their leaf blades (25-41 cm in both species). However, the leaf blades of P. pilosum are mostly elliptic (sometimes however they can be obovate) with a rounded or cordate base, while those of P. macrophyllum are always obovate with an acute to obtuse base and the flowering pedicel is longer (10-25 mm versus 8-10 mm in Piptostigma macrophyllum). The inflorescence of P. pilosum generally presents few flowers per inflorescence (1 to 3) while there are 3 to 6 in P. macrophyllum . The species P. fugax and P. oyemense also have few flowers per inflorescence (1) but these species have fewer carpels (1 to 3 versus 5 to 8 in P. pilosum).

Specimens examined.

East Region: 78 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 Masea village, 3.15°N, 14.72°E, 05 March 2019, Couvreur T.L.P. 1204 (MPU,WAG,YA). South-West Region: Near Bai Kuke SE of Mbonge, 4.53°N, 9.11°E, 25 January 1958, Keay R.W.J. 37372 (P); Along footpath from Ndian River at PAMOL field 69 and transect P, 5.01°N, 8.833°E, 24 January 1985, Thomas D.W. 4311 (P,YA); Korup National Park, 5.01°N, 8.833°E, 12 April 1985, Thomas D.W. 4755 (MO); Limbe W of Njonji Lake, 4.13°N, 9.016°E, 27 January 1994, Wieringa J.J. 2030 (U,WAG) .