Monodora undulata Couvreur, Reveal. Secrets African Annon.: Isolona & Monodora: 246 2008

Monodora undulata (P.Beauv.) Couvreur, Reveal. Secrets African Annon.: Isolona & Monodora: 246, 2008

Figs 78, 79; Map 10C

≡ Unona undulata (Palisot de Beauvois) Dunal, Monogr. Anonac.: 111, 1817.

= Monodora brevipes Benth., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 23(3): 475, 1862. Type. Saõ Tomé & Principe: Principe Island, Mann G. 1115, 1861: lectotype, designated by Couvreur (2009), p. 246; sheet here designated: K[K000199026]; isotypes: K[K000199025]; P[P00363308].

= Monodora preussii Engl. & Diels, Notizbl. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 301 1899. Type. Cameroon. South Region, Victoria (Limbe), Preuss, P.R. 1314, 1898: lectotype, designated by Couvreur (2009): 246: K[K000105558]; isolectotypes: A[A00295524]; EA; PH[PH00018358]; S[S10-21404]; Z[Z-000034547].

Type.

Nigeria. no region; no location, Palisot de Beauvois A.M.F.J. s.n., no date: holotype: G-DC, scanned image[excluding fruits] [G00011671].

Description.

Tree, up to 20 m tall, d.b.h. up to 100 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches glabrous. Leaves: petiole 2-14 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous, slightly grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 10-40 cm long, 8-15 cm wide, oblong to obovate, apex acuminate, acumen 3-9 cm long, base rounded to obtuse, coriaceous to papyraceous, below glabrous when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, concolorous; midrib raised above, above glabrous when young and old, below glabrous when young and old; secondary veins 9 to 17 pairs, glabrous below; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on old or young foliate branches, leaf opposed or extra axillary. Flowers bisexual with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 per inflorescence; pedicel 30-55 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, glabrous; in fruit 40-50 mm long, 8-10 mm in diameter, glabrous; bracts 1, upper only, towards the upper half or middle of pedicel, 6-10 mm long, 7-11 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 7-11 mm long, 5-10 mm wide, ovate, apex rounded to obtuse, base truncate, green, glabrous, pubescent towards margins outside, glabrous, pubescent towards margins inside, margins wavy; petals basally fused, tube 2-3 mm long, inner and outer whorl differentiated, outer petals longer than inner; outer petals 3, 25-45 mm long, 15-30 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, speckled and streaked yellow and purple, base creamy-white, margins wavy, glabrous, pubescent towards margins outside, glabrous, pubescent towards margins inside; inner petals 3, valvate, 17-27 mm long, 13-20 mm wide, rhombic, apex acute, base narrowed into a claw, claw 2-5 mm long, yellow with brown-purple spots, margins flat, glabrous outside, sparsely pubescent inside; receptacle strongly convex; stamens numerous, in 12 to 14 rows, ca. 1 mm long, broad; connective discoid, densely pubescent, cream; staminodes absent; carpels fused into a single structure, 4 mm long, stigma bilobed, slightly capitate, sparsely pubescent. Fruits syncarpous, 60-120 mm long, 40-60 mm in diameter, ovoid, apex rounded, tomentose, faintly ribbed longitudinally, otherwise smooth, brown when ripe; seeds 9-20 mm long, 6-11 mm in diameter, flattened ellipsoid; aril absent.

Distribution.

A widespread species, disjunct between West Africa (Sierra Leone to Togo) and Central Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon and São Tome Island); in Cameroon known from East, South, Central, Littoral and South-West regions.

Habitat.

A fairly uncommon species even though it has been collected numerous times in Cameroon; in lowland primary and secondary rain forests, along rivers and in swamps. Altitude 0-700 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

Yellow-Flowering Nutmeg (English) (Cooper and Record 1931).

IUCN conservation status.

Least Concern (LC) (Cosiaux et al. 2019a c).

Uses in Cameroon.

food: seeds used for sauces, as condiment or spice; medicine: bark used against venereal diseases.

Notes.

Monodora undulata closely resembles M. myristica; both share a strongly convex receptacle, large leaves, and completely connivent inner petals; but M. undulata is distinguished from M. myristica by its smaller flowers with shorter pedicels, cup-shaped and non-undulate upper bract, and ovoid densely tomentose fruits.

Specimens examined.

Central Region: Reserve forestière de Makak, 3.48°N, 11.01°E, 14 December 1967, Bamps P.R.J. 1449 (BR,YA). East Region: ca 9 km from Bertoua near the road to Doumé, 4.53°N, 13.61°E, 09 December 1961, Breteler F.J. 2182 (K,P,WAG,YA). Littoral Region: Ebo Proposed National Park Iboty to Bekob village, 4.46°N, 10.46°E, 14 February 2006, Cheek M. 12928 (K). South Region: along main road Kribi-Bipindi, 2.99°N, 10.01°E, 17 February 2012, Couvreur T.L.P. 391 (WAG,YA); Lolodorf, 3.23°N, 10.71°E, 1896, Staudt A. 40 (G,K,P). South-West Region: Path above Kupe village, 4.76°N, 9.694°E, 22 May 1996, Cable S. 2544 (K,WAG,YA); Nyangdong volcanic waterfall-whirlpool path, 4.96°N, 9.577°E, 27 March 2003, Cheek M. 11464 (K); Mount Cameroon National Park Bakinguili trail above Bakinguili village, 4.07°N, 9.051°E, 02 April 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 1042 (WAG,YA); Nyasoso village on max’s trail to Mt 4.82°N, 9.692°E, 05 April 2016, Couvreur T.L.P. 1061 (WAG,YA); Kupe village to Loum State Forest, 4.73°N, 9.716°E, 29 May 1996, Etuge M. 2017 (K,MO,P,WAG,YA); Korup National Park, 5.06°N, 8.855°E, 06 February 1998, Kenfack D. 1027 (MO,WAG); 6 km W of Bota rocky coast with volcanic boulders, 4.01°N, 9.144°E, 31 August 1972, Leeuwenberg A.J.M. 10295 (BR,MO,P,WAG,YA); Limbe (Victoria) Bimbia road, 4.00°N, 13.21°E, 01 February 1929, Maitland T.D. 408 (K); Johann-Albrechtshöhe [Kumba] area 4.63°N, 9.416°E, 1896, Staudt A. 495 (A); Southern slope of Mount above Batoke, 4.03°N, 9.1°E, 25 January 1984, Thomas D.W. 3025 (B,BR,MO,P,YA); Small Koto, 4.31°N, 9.066°E, 07 March 1985, Thomas D.W. 4516 (K,MO,P,YA); Cameroon Mountain, 4.31°N, 9.066°E, 01 June 1985, Thomas D.W. 4814 (BR,MO,P,WAG).