Monanthotaxis gracilis P. H. Hoekstra, Taxon 66 (1): 14 2017
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 gracilis

description: Monanthotaxis gracilis (Hook.f.) P.H.Hoekstra, Taxon 66 (1): 14, 2017 Fig. 59; Map 7I ≡ Uvaria gracilis Hook.f., Niger Fl.: 210, 1849. Oxymitra gracilis (Hook.f.) Sprague &amp; Hutch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 6: 154, 1916; Richella gracilis (Hook.f.) R.E.Fr., Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2, 17a (2): 139, 1959; Friesodielsia gracilis (Hook.f.) Steenis, Blumea 12: 359, 1964. = Oxymitra platypetala Benth., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 23(3): 472, 1862; Cleistopholis platypetala (Benth.) Engl. &amp; Diels, Monogr. Afrik. Pflanzen.-Fam. 6: 34, 1901. Type. Sierra Leone. Southern Province, Bagroo river, <i>Mann G. 857</i>, Apr 1896: holotype: K[K00198952]. = Unona millenii Engl. &amp; Diels, Monogr. Afrik. Pflanzen.-Fam. 6: 40, 1901. Type. Nigeria. Lagos State, Lagos, Millen H. 149, Mar 1896: holotype: K, not seen. = Oxymitra rosea Sprague &amp; Hutch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 6: 154, 1916; Richella rosea (Sprague &amp; Hutch.) R.E.Fr., in Engler &amp; Prantl Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2, 17a (2): 139, 1959; Friesodielsia rosea (Sprague &amp; Hutch.) Steenis, Blumea 12: 361, 1964. Type. Nigeria. Cross River State, Oban, Talbot P.A. 199, 1911: holotype: BM[BM000547067]. Type. Sierra Leone. no region; no location, <i>Don G. s.n.</i>, no date: holotype: BM[BM000547066]. Description. Shrub to liana, 4-20 m tall, d.b.h. 10-20 cm. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches sparsely pubescent to glabrous, <b>light grey in color</b>, young foliate branches pubescent with <b>very short appressed to ascending hairs 0.1 mm long</b>. Leaves: petiole 2-4 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diameter, pubescent, grooved, blade inserted on top of the petiole; blade 4-16.5 cm long, 1.4-5.7 cm wide, obovate to oblanceolate, apex acuminate to acute, acumen ca. 2 cm long, base cuneate to subcordate, subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent to glabrous when young, glabrous when old, above glabrous when young and old, discolorous, whitish below; midrib depressed, above glabrous when young and old, below sparsely pubescent when young, glabrous when old; secondary veins 7 to 10 pairs, glabrous above; tertiary venation percurrent. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old leafless branches, leaf opposed to extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 3 per inflorescence; <b>pedicel 15-45 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm in diameter</b>, pubescent; in fruit 25-50 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diameter; basal bract 1-2 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide; <b>upper bract 2-3 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, lanceolate in shape</b>; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 3-6 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, ovate, apex obtuse, base truncate, sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner, inner petals entirely covered in bud; outer petals 3, 12-30 mm long, 7-12 mm wide, <b>elliptic</b>, apex obtuse, base truncate, light yellow to light green, margins flat, pubescent outside, pubescent inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 5-9 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, ovate to rhombic, apex acute, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, sparsely pubescent to glabrous inside; stamens 80 to 125, in 3 to 5 rows, ca. 1 mm long, linear to oblong; connective globose, glabrous; staminodes absent; carpels free, 17 to 24, ovary 1-2 mm long, stigma elongate, pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 4-8 mm long, 2 mm in diameter; monocarps 10 to 20, red when ripe, 13-35 mm long, 4-5 mm in diameter, moniliform, ellipsoid to globose, apex apiculate, densely pubescent, pubescent, constricted around seeds when more than 1, red when ripe; seeds 1 to 5 per monocarp, ca. 6 mm long, ca. 4 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril absent. Distribution. A mainly west African species, from Sierra Leone to Nigeria, just reaching into Cameroon where known from the South-West region. Habitat. A rare species in Cameroon; in primary and secondary rain forests, swamp forests and gallery forests, on river banks and summit ridges. Altitude: 100 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 gracilis</i> is distinguished by its light-grey branches, very short hairs on the branches and pedicels, a small lanceolate upper bract, its long slender flowering pedicels and ellipsoid flower buds and elliptic outer petals. This species is only known from a single collection in Cameroon to date. Specimens examined. <b>South-West Region</b>: Korup National Park, 5.01°N, 8.8°E, <i>15 June 2000</i>, <i>van der Burgt X.M.</i> 614 (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 206-209, 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"]}