Monanthotaxis laurentii Verdc., Kew Bull. 25 (1): 26 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 laurentii

description: Monanthotaxis laurentii (De Wild.) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 26, 1971 Figs 61, 62; Map 8D ≡ Popowia laurentii De Wild., Enum. Pl. Laurent: 19, 1905. = Unona congensis Engl. &amp; Diels, Notizbl. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 296, 1899; Popowia congensis (Engl. &amp; Diels) Engl. &amp; Diels, Monogr. Afr. Pfl. 6. 44, 1901. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Equateur, Bomongo, Bangala, <i>Laurent E. s.n.</i>, 20 Feb 1896: holotype: BR[BR0000008804686]. Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Equateur; Bikoro, <i>Laurent E. 92</i>, 20 Feb 1896: holotype: BR[BR0000008805010]. Description. Shrub to liana, 20 m tall, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; <b>old leafless branches glabrescent, reddish brown</b>, <b>young foliate branches sparsely pubescent with appressed to ascending yellowish hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long</b>. Leaves: petiole 3-7 mm long, 1 mm in diameter, pubescent, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 4.7-18.3 cm long, 2.4-7.2 cm wide, obovate to oblanceolate, apex acuminate to acute, acumen up to 2 cm long, base rounded to subcordate, papyraceous, below sparsely pubescent when young and old, above sparsely pubescent when young and old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib impressed, above pubescent when young and old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 7 to 14 pairs, sparsely pubescent above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, leaf opposed or extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 2 per inflorescence; pedicel 5-11 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent; in fruit 15-23 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter; basal bract ca. 1 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide; upper bracts 1-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, shortly fused basally or free, 1-2 mm long, ca. 3 mm wide, ovate, apex rounded, base truncate, green, densely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals entirely covered in bud; outer petals 3, 6-8 mm long, 5.2-8.1 mm wide, ovate, apex obtuse then shortly acuminate, base truncate, green, margins flat, densely to sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous but pubescent towards the margins inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 4.5-5.3 mm long, 3.5-3.9 mm wide, ovate to rhombic, apex obtuse but then shortly acuminate, base truncate, green, margins flat, densely pubescent outside, pubescent with a glabrous base inside; <b>stamens 23 to 24, in 3 rows</b>, ca. 1 mm long, obovate; connective truncate, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 9 to 12, ovary ca. 2 mm long, stigma elongate, <b>glabrous</b>. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 10-23 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter; monocarps 3 to 11, 25-85 mm long, 5-6 mm in diameter, moniliform, cylindrical, apex apiculate, glabrous, verrucose, constricted around seeds when more than 1, yellow to orange when ripe; <b>seeds 1 to 6 per monocarp, 14-19 mm long, 5-6 mm in diameter, subcylindrical</b>; aril absent. Distribution. A widespread West and Central African species, from Sierra Leone to Nigeria and Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola; in Cameroon known from the Central, North and South-West regions. Habitat. A common species when present; in primary or old secondary lowland or submontane forests, forest pockets in savanna and gallery forests. Altitude 300-1000 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 laurentii</i> is distinguished by its reddish brown branches with a pubescence of scattered short yellow hairs, 23 to 24 stamens in 3 whorls, glabrous carpels, and long subcylindrical seeds. Specimens examined. <b>Central Region</b>: Eloumden 10 km SW of Yaoundé, 3.49°N, 11.26°E, <i>06 February 1996</i>, <i>Nkongmeneck B.A.</i> 1326 (MO). <b>North Region</b>: Ngoussou, 6.03°N, 11.23°E, <i>01 February 1939</i>, <i>Jacques-Félix H.</i> 3226 (P). <b>South-West Region</b>: Nyasoso village on max’s trail to Mt 4.82°N, 9.694°E, <i>05 April 2016</i>, <i>Couvreur T.L.P.</i> 1056 (WAG,YA); on top of hill near Small Ekombe village 3 km after Kumba on road to Ekondo Titi town, 4.62°N, 9.376°E, <i>13 January 2016</i>, <i>Couvreur T.L.P.</i> 981 (WAG,YA); Ndabekim Hill to west of village, 4.91°N, 9.716°E, <i>15 December 1999</i>, <i>Etuge M.</i> 4676 (K,MO,P,WAG,YA); Mt Cameroun south slope W of Victoria Transect 5, 4.07°N, 9.015°E, <i>16 November 1985</i>, <i>Gentry A.H.</i> 52947 (MO).
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 217-218, 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"]}