Monanthotaxis elegans Verdc., Kew Bull. 25 (1): 25 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 elegans

description: Monanthotaxis elegans (Engl. &amp; Diels) Verdc., Kew Bull. 25(1): 25, 1971 Fig. 49; Map 7C ≡ Popowia elegans Engl. &amp; Diels, Monogr. Afrik. Pflanzen.-Fam. 6: 45, 1901. Type. Cameroon. South Region; Bipindi, <i>Zenker G.A. 1321, 23 Mar</i> 1897: holotype: B[B100153023]; isotypes: BM[BM000553832, BM000553833]; E[E00181437]; G[G00308366]; HBG[HBG-502506]; K[K000198990, K000198991]; M[M-0198713]; P[P00362605, P00362606]. Description. Liana, up to 4 m tall, d.b.h. unknown. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches densely pubescent with dense appressed to ascending reddish brown hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long. Leaves: petiole 3-5 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, densely pubescent, slightly grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 4.6-15.4 cm long, 2.3-4.6 cm wide, <b>narrowly oblong-elliptic to oblong-oblanceolate (to obovate)</b>, apex acute to acuminate, acumen ca. 3 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 glabrous when young and old, below sparsely pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 11 to 14 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; <b>inflorescences ramiflorous on foliate branches, leaf opposed to extra axillary</b>. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, <b>1 to 8 per inflorescence, glomerule-like</b>; pedicel 1-2 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, <b>densely pubescent with appressed yellowish brown hairs</b>; in fruit 4-5 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter; basal bract ca. 1 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide; upper bract ca.1 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, ca. 1 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, triangular to ovate, apex acute, base truncate, densely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals entirely covered in bud; outer petals 3, 2.6-4.3 mm long, 2.6-3.5 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, yellow to cream, margins flat, densely pubescent outside, glabrous, pubescent towards margins inside; inner petals 3, valvate, ca. 3.5 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, rhombic, apex acute, base truncate, yellow to cream, margins flat, pubescent towards base outside, pubescent inside; stamens 9, in 1 row, ca. 1 mm long, linear to oblong; connective truncate, glabrous; staminodes 6, alternating with the stamens, minute, glabrous; carpels free, 12 to 20, ovary ca. 1 mm long, stigma globose, glabrous. Monocarps stipitate, stipes ca. 2 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter; monocarps 2 to 8, 9-16 mm long, 5-6 mm in diameter, ellipsoid, apex apiculate, glabrous, verrucose, constricted around seeds when more than 1, color unknown; seeds 1 to 2 per monocarp, 7-9 mm long, 5-6 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent. Distribution. endemic to Cameroon, known from the Central and South regions. Habitat. In primary lowland rain forests and gallery forests, open rocky spot on sandy soil. Altitude 50-500 m a.s.l. Local and common names known in Cameroon. None recorded. Preliminary IUCN conservation status. Endangered (EN) (Hoekstra et al. 2021). Uses in Cameroon. None reported. Notes. <i>Monanthotaxis elegans</i> is generally distinguished by its oblong-lanceolate leaves and extra-axillary or terminal glomerule-like inflorescences with yellow-brown pubescence. The specimen <i>Annet 348</i> [P01960095] has obovate instead of oblong-lanceolate leaves, but the inflorescence and flowers are typical for <i>M. elegans</i>. Specimens examined. <b>Central Region</b>: Riverine forest bank Nyong river near the new bridge ca 65 km SSW of Eseka, 3.46°N, 10.5°E, <i>16 June 1964</i>, <i>de Wilde W.J.J.O</i> 2709 (B,BR,K,MO,P,WAG,YA); Natchigal ca 20 km N of Obala, 4.35°N, 11.63°E, <i>01 July 1964</i>, <i>de Wilde W.J.J.O</i> 2787 (B,BR,K,MO,P,WAG,YA). <b>South Region</b>: Bipinde, 3.26°N, 10.20°E, <i>20 June 1918</i>, <i>Annet E.</i> 348 (BR,K,P); Campo Ma’an National Park 11 km on trail from Ebinanemeyong village on road 7 km from Nyabessan to Campo town, 2.48°N, 10.33°E, <i>13 February 2015</i>, <i>Couvreur T.L.P.</i> 704 (WAG,YA); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, <i>1897</i>, <i>Zenker G.A.</i> 132 (L); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, <i>1897</i>, <i>Zenker G.A.</i> 1321 (E,M,P); Lokoundjé, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, <i>01 January 1913</i>, <i>Zenker G.A.</i> 199 (U,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, <i>01 January 1904</i>, <i>Zenker G.A.</i> 2693 (E,L,M,P,WAG); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, <i>01 January 1911</i>, <i>Zenker G.A.</i> 4000 (E,L,M,P); Bipindi, 3.08°N, 10.41°E, <i>01 January 1912</i>, <i>Zenker G.A.</i> 4477 (E,L,M); Bipindi, 3.05°N, 10.25°E, <i>Zenker G.A.</i> s.n. (P).
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 191-192, 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"]}