II. Xylopia section Verdcourtia D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray

PhytoKeys 97: 88, 89 (2018). — Type: Xylopia mwasumbii

D.M.Johnson.

DESCRIPTION

Nodes with branches from 2-3 axillary buds; outer and inner petals lanceolate, similar in length; inner petals flat at the base and lacking differentiated fleshy basal margins; anther connective apex rudimentary, not overhanging the anther thecae, staminal cone rudimentary, surrounding only the bases of the ovaries and rim laciniate, or cone absent; carpels 1-5, the stigmas sometimes thickened and falciform; seed (where known) bearing a cupular aril surrounding the base; seed coat smooth, sarcotesta absent. Three species in East Africa and two species on Madagascar, all at low elevations.

NOTES

Xylopia section Verdcourtia is characterized by a rudimentary anther connective apex, which does not overhang the anther thecae, a rudimentary or absent staminal cone, and a smooth fleshy white cupular aril (Johnson & Murray 2018). Two Madagascar Xylopia species, X. sahafariensis and X. sericolampra, have this unusual androecium and are classified in the section even though their seeds are imperfectly known. An accession of X. sahafariensis was nested in a subclade with section members X. mwasumbii and X. lukei from East Africa in the molecular phylogeny of Stull et al. (2017).