Monanthotaxis whytei Verdc., Kew Bull. 25 (1): 29 1971
Creators: name: Couvreur, Thomas L. P.
name: Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J.
name: Crozier, Francoise
name: Ghogue, Jean-Paul
name: Hoekstra, Paul H.
name: Kamdem, Narcisse G.
name: Johnson, David M.
name: Murray, Nancy A.
name: Sonke, Bonaventure
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliales
Annonaceae
Monanthotaxis
Monanthotaxis whytei

description: 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, <i>Whyte A. s.n.</i>, 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; <b>inflorescences cauliflorous or ramiflorous</b> 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; <b>stamens 9, in 1 row</b>, ca. 1 mm long, obconical; connective truncate, glabrous; <b>staminodes 9</b>, <b>in one external whorl and alternating with the stamens</b>, 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. <i>Monanthotaxis whytei</i> is distinguished by the cauliflorous or ramiflorous inflorescences with rounded floral buds and flowers with 9 stamens and 9 small staminodes. Specimen examined. <b>South Region</b>: ca 15 km N of Kribi Edéa roadLittoral forest behind beach ca 50 m from s 3.01°N, 9.966°E, <i>04 February 1969</i>, <i>Bos J.J.</i> 3854 (P,WAG,YA).
description: Published as part of <i>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. &amp; Sonke, Bonaventure, 2022, Flora of Cameroon - Annonaceae Vol 45, pp. 1-532 in PhytoKeys 207</i> on pages 243-244, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.207.61432
description: {"references": ["Hoekstra, PH, Wieringa, JJ, Maas, JM, Chatrou, LW, 2021. Revision of the African species of Monanthotaxis (Annonaceae). Blumea 66: 107 - 221, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2021.66.02.01"]}