Dennettia tripetala Baker f., Cat. Pl. Oban: 5 1913
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
Dennettia
Dennettia tripetala

description: Dennettia tripetala Baker f., Cat. Pl. Oban: 5, 1913 Fig. 24; Map 3G ≡ Uvariopsis tripetala (Baker f.) G.E.Schatz, Novon 13(4): 447, 2003. Type. Nigeria. Edo State; Benin City, <i>Dennett R.E. 44</i>, 1 Jan 1907: lectotype, designated by Kenfack et al. (2003), p. 447; sheet here designated: K[K000040959]; isolectotypes: K[K000040961]; S[S-G-9774]. Description. Shrub to small tree, 2-5 m tall, d.b.h. unknown; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 2-5 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; <b>blade 7.2-15.5 cm long, 3-6.8 cm wide</b>, elliptic, apex attenuate to acuminate, acumen 0.6-1.3 cm long, base acute to decurrent, subcoriaceous, below glabrous when young and old, above glabrous when young and old; midrib sunken or flat, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young and old; secondary veins 5 to 10 pairs per side, glabrous above; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual, inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, axillary. Flowers with <b>6 perianth parts in 2 whorls</b>, 1 to 4 per inflorescence; <b>pedicel 4-9 mm long</b>, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 5-15 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, glabrous to pubescent; bracts 1 to 3, all basal 0.5-2 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide; <b>sepals 3 (rarely 2)</b>, valvate, basally fused, 1-3 mm long, 1.5-4 mm wide, triangular, apex acute, base truncate, brown, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; <b>petals 3 (rarely 4, see notes), free, 7-14 mm</b> long, 6-10 mm wide, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens ca. 150, in 10 to 20 rows, 0.5-1 mm long, oblong; connective reduced or absent, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 8 to 30, ovary ca. 2-4.5 mm long, stigma globose, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 1-3 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter; monocarps 1 to 8, 11-32 mm long, 5-15 mm in diameter, ovoid to oblong, apex rounded, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, verrucose, wrinkled; seeds 4 to 12 per monocarp, 4-10 mm long, 11-14 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent. Distribution. Mainly a West African species from Sierra Leone to Cameroon; in Cameroon known from the South-West region. Habitat. an uncommon species; in lowland to premontane primary or secondary rain forests. Altitude 0-1000 m a.s.l. Local and common names known in Cameroon. Bushpèpè (<i>Westphal 9932</i>, Pidgin English(?)); Pepperfruit (english) IUCN conservation status. Least Concern (LC) (Harvey-Brown 2019f) (as <i>Uvariopsis tripetala</i>). Uses in Cameroon. <i>food</i>: fruit for sauces, condiments, spices, flavorings (pepper); <i>medicine</i>: cough, fever, toothache, diarrhea, diabetes, nausea (Iseghohi 2015). Notes. <i>Dennettia tripetala</i> is unique in Cameroonian by being a tree with bisexual flowers having three sepals and three petals. This species resembles <i>Uvariopsis congensis</i> and <i>Uvariopsis zenkeri</i> (<i>Uvariopsis</i> being a genus were <i>Dennettia</i> was once part off, see above, Kenfack et al. (2003)) by the smaller dimensions of its leaves (7-18 cm long and 3-6 cm wide), and the small and short pedicellate (&lt;1 cm) flowers. <i>Dennettia tripetala</i>, however, differs from these two species by its bisexual flowers, whereas all other species of <i>Uvariopsis</i> in Cameroon have unisexual flowers. Only one other species of <i>Uvariopsis</i> is bisexual (<i>U. bisexualis</i> Verdc.) which occurs in East Africa (Verdcourt 1971a). It has been reported that some <i>D. tripetala</i> specimens had 2 sepals and 4 petals (Kenfack et al. 2003), however, a recent morphological study did not find any evidence for that (Dagallier et al. in prep). However, we cannot exclude that it might be a rare event. Specimens examined. <b>South-West Region</b>: Missellele, 4.12°N, 9.448°E, <i>Box H.E.</i> 3556 (BM,K); Limbe (Victoria), 4.07°N, 9.189°E, <i>01 April 1929</i>, <i>Maitland T.D.</i> 626 (K); Buea area 4.2°N, 9.183°E, <i>01 January 1930</i>, <i>Maitland T.D.</i> s.n. (K[K000105532]); Likomba-Pflanzung 15-35 km NE von Victoria [Limbe], 4.1°N, 9.333°E, <i>18 October 1928</i>, <i>Mildbraed G.W.J.</i> 10515 (K); Ngandjo on Kumba Mbonge road, 4.55°N, 9.4°E, <i>25 February 1986</i>, <i>Thomas D.W.</i> 5661 (K); Market of Victoria, 4.01°N, 9.2°E, <i>04 April 1978</i>, <i>Westphal E.</i> 9932 (WAG).
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 97-100, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.207.61432
description: {"references": ["Kenfack, D, Gosline, G, Gereau, RE, Schatz, GE, 2003. The genus Uvariopsis (Annonaceae) in tropical Africa with a recombination and one new species from Cameroon. Novon 13: 443 - 449, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3393377", "Baker, EG, 1913. Anonaceae. In: Rendle, AB, Baker, EG, Wernham, HF, Moore, S, Eds., Catalogue of the plants collected by Mr. &amp; Mrs. P.A. Talbot in the Oban district, South Nigeria. Trustees of the British Museum, London: 1 - 6, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/137", "Harvey-Brown, Y, 2019f. Uvariopsis tripetala. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T34669A149069409. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T34669A149069409.en", "Iseghohi, SO, 2015. A review of the uses and medicinal properties of Dennettia tripetala (Pepperfruit). Medical Sciences 3: 104 - 111, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci3040104", "Verdcourt, B, 1971a. Annonaceae. In: Milne-Redhead, E, Polhill, RM, Eds., Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London: 1 - 131"]}