Monanthotaxis whytei (Stapf) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 29, 1971

Map 9F

≡ Popowia whytei Stapf, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 37: 81, 1905.

Type.

Liberia. Sinon; Sinoe Basin, Whyte A. s.n., 1904: holotype: K[K000198908] .

Description.

Shrub to liana, 2-50 m tall, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrescent, young foliate branches densely pubescent with appressed to ascending reddish brown hairs 0.2 mm long. Leaves: petiole 1-7 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, densely pubescent with appressed to ascending reddish brown hairs, weakly grooved adaxially, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 8.8-19.4 cm long, 3.5-8.5 cm wide, obovate, apex acuminate to acute, acumen 0.5-1 cm long, base subcordate, papyraceous to subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, above sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib sunken or flat, above sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old; secondary veins 8 to 14 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent, sometimes not visible. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences cauliflorous or ramiflorous on old leafless branches, axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 per inflorescence, peduncle 2-8 mm, densely pubescent with yellowish slightly erect hairs; pedicel 7-11 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, densely pubescent with yellowish slightly erect hairs; in fruit 13-20 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter; basal bract 1-2 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; upper bract 1-2 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals entirely covered in bud; outer petals 3, 3.4-5 mm long, 3.4-4.5 mm wide, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, yellow to light green, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous, pubescent towards margins inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 3-4 mm long, 1.5-2.2 mm wide, elliptic to ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens 9, in 1 row, ca. 1 mm long, obconical; connective truncate, glabrous; staminodes 9, in one external whorl and alternating with the stamens, glabrous; carpels free, 27 to 36, ovary ca. 1 mm long, stigma elongate, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 5-12 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter; monocarps up to 10, 15-38 mm long, ca. 8 mm in diameter, moniliform, ellipsoid to globose, apex rounded to apiculate, pubescent to glabrous, verrucose, constricted around seeds, yellow to orange when ripe; seeds 1 to 3 per monocarp, 9-10 mm long, 6-7 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A mainly West African species, from Sierra Leone to Benin, and Nigeria to Cameroon; in Cameroon known from the South region.

Habitat.

A rare species just reaching in Cameroon and known by a single collection in Cameroon, in lowland primary or old secondary rain forests, swampy forests, gallery forests and in savanna regions. Altitude 0-50 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) (Hoekstra et al. 2021).

Uses in Cameroon.

None reported.

Notes.

Monanthotaxis whytei is distinguished by the cauliflorous or ramiflorous inflorescences with rounded floral buds and flowers with 9 stamens and 9 small staminodes.

Specimen examined.

South Region: ca 15 km N of Kribi Edéa roadLittoral forest behind beach ca 50 m from s 3.01°N, 9.966°E, 04 February 1969, Bos J.J. 3854 (P,WAG,YA).