Phylogenomic inference of the African tribe Monodoreae (Annonaceae) and taxonomic revision of Dennettia, Uvariodendron and Uvariopsis Author Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3270-1544 DIADE, Universite de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France & Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458, USA leopauldagallier@gmail.com Author Mbago, Frank M. The Herbarium, Botany Department, Box 35060, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Author Couderc, Marie https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7297-155X DIADE, Universite de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France Author Gaudeul, Myriam Institut de Systematique, Evolution, Biodiversite (ISYEB), Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle-CNRS-SU-EPHE-UA, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 39, 75231 Paris, Cedex 05, France Author Grall, Aurelie https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1613-4703 Herbaria Basel, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland & Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW 9 3 AE, UK Author Loup, Caroline DIADE, Universite de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France Author Wieringa, Jan J. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0566-372X Herbier MPU, DCSPH - CC 99010, Universite de Montpellier, 163 rue A. Broussonnet, F- 34090 Montpellier, France Author Sonke, Bonaventure https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4310-3603 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden, Netherlands Author Couvreur, Thomas L. P. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-6587 DIADE, Universite de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France text PhytoKeys 2023 2023-09-22 233 1 200 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.233.103096 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.233.103096 1314-2003-233-1 EB874C2B403C5C42ACE3846B51EE6F22 Uvariopsis solheidii (De Wild.) Robyns & Ghesq., Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Ser. B liii. 321 (1933) Figs 79 , 80A-O , 81 ≡ Tetrastemma solheidii De Wild., Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot. ser . 5, 3(1): 85 (1909). Type. Democratic Republic of the Congo - Orientale • A.F. Solheid 96 (holotype: BR! (BR0000008824240)); Banalia, Env. de Yambuya; 1°16'N , 24°33'E ; 1906. = Uvariopsis batesii Robyns & Ghesq., Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Ser. B liii. 320 (1933). Type. Cameroon - South Region • G.L. Bates 1367 (holotype: BM! (BM000554077)), Bitye; 3°00'41.45"N , 12°21'04.18"E ; 1919. = Uvariopsis letestui Pellegr.; syn. nov. concerning Uvariopsis letestui var letestui (see details under this variety). Description. Shrub to tree 1.5-8 m tall, D.B.H 2-6 cm; young branches tomentose to shortly tomentose, old branches glabrous. Petiole 2-5 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, tomentose to glabrous. Leaf lamina 131-260 (285) mm long, 40-93 mm wide, length:width ratio 2.1-3.9, elliptic to obovate, coriaceous, base acute to rounded to subcordate, apex attenuate to narrowly acuminate, acumen 4-20 mm long, surface above glabrous, surface below glabrous; midrib impressed above, raised below, glabrous above, tomentose to glabrous below; secondary veins 7-13 pairs, brochidodromous to weakly brochidodromous, impressed above, raised below; tertiary veins reticulate. Flowers unisexual, male and female flowers dimorphic, on same individuals (plant monoecious, but individuals with only pistillate flowers were also reported; e.g. Le Testu 8458). Flower buds long ovoid to conical. Male inflorescences borne on small thickenings of the trunk, mainly between the base towards 50 cm, up to ca. 2.50 m, above the female inflorescence, composed of 1 to 2 flowers. Peduncle inconspicuous. Flower pedicel 9-30 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diameter, pubescent to sparsely pubescent. Bracts 1 to 2 at base and none to 1 towards the lower half of the pedicel, upper bract 1-2 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, broadly ovate, adpressed, semi clasping the pedicel, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Sepals 2, 1.5-2 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, broadly ovate, free, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, brown to red. Petals 4, 5-10 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, length:width ratio 2-3.2, ovate to narrowly ovate, free, straight to curving outward at anthesis, pubescent to sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous inside, brown to light red outside, dull pink to dark purplish red inside. Stamens ca. 300, 0.2-0.5 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm wide, anthers linear, connective prolongation truncate. Female inflorescences borne on small thickenings of the trunk, mainly between the base towards ca. 50 cm, up to ca. 2.50 m, below the male inflorescence, composed of 1 to 2 flowers. Flower pedicel 30-198 mm long, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, pubescent to glabrous. Bracts 1 to 2 at base and none to 1 towards the lower 30% of the pedicel, upper bract 1-2 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, broadly ovate, adpressed, semi clasping the pedicel, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Sepals 2, 1.5-4 mm long, 2-5 mm wide, broadly ovate, free, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, brown to red. Petals 4, 7.5-17 mm long, 3.5-7 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.3-3.6, ovate to narrowly ovate, free, straight to curving outward at anthesis, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, brown to light red outside, dull pink to dark purplish red inside. Carpels 30 to 65, 1-3.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, velutinous, free; stigma globose. Fruiting pedicel 30-176 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent to glabrous. Monocarps, 1-5, 21-70 mm long, 12-30 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.8-3 (measures taken from both dried fruits and their associated specimen label, note that monocarps seem to sink when drying), cylindrical, with 4-6 longitudinal ridges and several transversal ridges or wrinkles, sparsely pubescent to glabrous, bright red, subsessile; stipe 0-4 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, pubescent to glabrous. Seeds 2-10 per monocarp, uniseriate to biseriate, 11-18 mm long, 10-12 mm wide, ellipsoid. Figure 79. Uvariopsis solheidii (De Wild.) Robyns & Ghesq A leaf, upper side B leaf base, upper side C leaf base, lower side D flower buds, side view, var. Uvariodendron fuscum solheidii (top), var. Uvariodendron fuscum letestui (bottom) E inflorescence, side view F male flowers, top view G drawing of: flowers with details (left), young fruits (top right), young monocarp (bottom right). A-C, D (bottom) Couveur 550 D (top), E, F Couvreur 855 G Halle 3474. Photos Thomas Couvreur. Drawing Nicolas Halle , part of specimen Halle 3474 (P). Distribution. Element of the Lower Guinean Domain and Congolia Domain of the Guineo-Congolian Region: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of the Congo. Habitat and ecology. Lowland to submontane mature or old secondary rain forests. Altitude: 0-1200 m asl. Phenology. Flowers collected from January to May, in November and December. Fruits collected in February, from April to August, in October and December. Vernacular names. Central African Republic: 'Molo-Mobay' in Bissongo (Tisserant 2422), 'Ita ti ngaingai' in Bambindjere (Fay 8384). Gabon: 'Heli' in Bakota ( Halle 3029). Notes. Up. solheidii resembles Up. dioica , Up. guineensis , and Up. pedunculosa in having elliptic to obovate leaves, with acute to rounded base and attenuate to acuminate apex. Leaf base of Up. solheidii can also be subcordate, and differs from these species in having young branches and petioles tomentose to shortly tomentose (vs. pubescent to glabrous) and in having cylindrical monocarps with longitudinal and transversal ridges (vs. smooth in Up. dioica , with a single longitudinal ridge in Up. guineensis and verrucose in Up. pedunculosa ). Figure 80. Uvariopsis solheidii (De Wild.) Robyns & Ghesq. - var. solheidii A male inflorescence B female flower, one petal removed, side view C petal of female flower, inner view D carpel, side and front views, detail of ovules E male flower, one petal removed, side view F petal of male flower, inner view G stamen, front and side views - var. Uvariodendron fuscum letestui (Pellegr.) Dagallier & Couvreur H flower bud I petal of female flower, inner view J female flower, all four petals removed, side view K carpel, front view and detail of ovules L male flower, one petal removed, side view M stamen, front view N fruit O longitudinal section of A monocarp Uvariopsis pedunculosa (Diels) Robyns & Ghesq P female inflorescence Q female flower, one petal removed, side view R petal of female flower, inner view S carpel, side view and detail of ovules. A from Tisserant 2422 B-G from Tisserant 804 H-M from Halle 3060 N, O from Halle 2975 P-S from Le Testu 8525. Drawings by Helene Lamourdedieu, from Le Thomas (1969 ; pl. 54, p. 299), Publications Scientifiques du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris. Here we make the two names Uvariopsis solheidii (De Wild.) Robyns & Ghesq. and Uvariopsis letestui Pellegr. synonyms. They have usually been distinguished based on the shape of their petals (narrowly ovate petals in Ud. solheidii vs. elliptic-ovate petals in Ud. letestui ), the position of the bracts along the flowering pedicel, and the length of the flower pedicels (longer in Ud. solheidii than in Ud. letestui , but with an overlap) ( Robyns and Ghesquiere 1933a ; Pellegrin 1948 ; Le Thomas 1965 , 1969 ). Our observations indicate a high overlap between these supposedly distinctive characters, and difficulties to place some specimens in one or the other group. Our molecular phylogenies retrieve the specimens of Ud. solheidii as paraphyletic with the specimens of Ud. letestui . Together, they form a strongly supported monophyletic group (Fig. 1 , Suppl. materials 1, 2), justifying further the two names actually represent the same species. Given the priority rule ( Turland et al. 2018 ), the name Uvariopsis solheidii prevails. We make Ud. letestui as the variety Ud. solheidii var. letestui , to recognize the existence of this morphotype in spite of overlap of some characters with the type variety (see notes under the Ud. solheidii var. letestui ). Conservation status. This species is widespread in central Africa. It has been assessed as Least Concern LC (Botanic Gardens Conservation International and IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group 2019b). Here its EOO is estimated at 1,429,739 km2 and its AOO at 132 km2.