Flora of Cameroon - Annonaceae Vol 45 Author Couvreur, Thomas L. P. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-6587 IRD, DIADE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France & Universite de Yaounde I, Ecole Normale Superieure, Departement des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Botanique systematique et d'Ecologie, B. P. 047, Yaounde, Cameroon & Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Botany Section, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, Netherlands thomas.couvreur@ird.fr Author Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3270-1544 IRD, DIADE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France Author Crozier, Francoise IRD, DIADE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France Author Ghogue, Jean-Paul Universite de Yaounde I, Ecole Normale Superieure, Departement des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Botanique systematique et d'Ecologie, B. P. 047, Yaounde, Cameroon & Green Connexion, Environmental Group, siege face GP Melen, a cote de l'immeuble Palais des verres. Yaounde, Cameroun Author Hoekstra, Paul H. Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Botany Section, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, Netherlands Author Kamdem, Narcisse G. Universite de Yaounde I, Ecole Normale Superieure, Departement des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Botanique systematique et d'Ecologie, B. P. 047, Yaounde, Cameroon Author Johnson, David M. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2896-7419 Department of Botany-Microbiology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA Author Murray, Nancy A. Department of Botany-Microbiology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA Author Sonke, Bonaventure https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4310-3603 Universite de Yaounde I, Ecole Normale Superieure, Departement des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Botanique systematique et d'Ecologie, B. P. 047, Yaounde, Cameroon text PhytoKeys 2022 2022-09-20 207 1 532 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.207.61432 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.207.61432 1314-2003-207-1 29CD4EF8FB525DBAA022DF25CDB649C9 Uvaria comperei Le Thomas, Adansonia ser . 2, 8: 244, 1968 Figs 103 , 109 , 110 ; Map 13H Type . Gabon . Ogooue-Ivindo ; Belinga, Halle N. 3267 , 20 Nov 1964 : holotype : P[P00046772] . Description. Liana, 3-5 m tall, d.b.h. 3-5 cm. Indumentum of simple or fasciculate hairs; old leafless branches glabrous, young foliate branches tomentose to pubescent . Leaves: petiole 4-6 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, tomentose, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 6-17 cm long, 3-6.5 cm wide, oblong, apex acuminate to obtuse, acumen 1 cm long, base rounded to broadly cordate , papyraceous, below pubescent with simple or fasciculate hairs when young and old, above sparsely pubescent with short simple and stellate hairs when young, glabrous when old; midrib sunken or flat, above sparsely pubescent when young and old, below pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 9 to 13 pairs, sparsely pubescent above; tertiary venation reticulate . Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, extra axillary. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 per inflorescence; pedicel 6-11 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, pubescent; in fruit 11-16 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent; bracts 2, one basal and one towards the lower half of pedicel, basal bract 2-4 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; upper bract 2-4 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, basally fused, 2-3 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, ovate, apex acuminate to attenuate, base truncate, pale green, tomentose outside, glabrous inside, margins flat; petals free, sub equal; outer petals 3, 7-14 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, ovate to oblong, apex obtuse, base truncate, green to light yellow, margins shortly revolute or straight, tomentose outside, pubescent inside; inner petals 3, imbricate, 7-14 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, ovate, apex obtuse, base shortly unguiculate, green to light yellow, margins flat, tomentose outside, pubescent inside; stamens numerous, in 7 to 8 rows, ca. 2 mm long, linear; connective discoid, sparsely pubescent, yellow; staminodes absent; carpels free, numerous (not clounted), ovary ca. 4 mm long, stigma bilobed, densely pubescent. Monocarps stipitate, stipes 17-22 mm long , 1-2 mm in diameter, laterally inserted ; monocarps 30 to 40, 10-15 mm long, 7-9 mm in diameter, ellipsoid to subglobose, apex rounded or very shortly apiculate, sparsely pubescent , slightly constricted over seeds in dried material , otherwise smooth, green to brown when ripe; seeds 10 to 14 per monocarp, 7-8 mm long, 4-5 mm in diameter, flattened ellipsoid; aril absent. Distribution. A central African species, known from Cameroon, Gabon and Democratic Republic of the Congo; in Cameroon known from the Littoral and South-West regions. Habitat. A rare species in Cameroon; in secondary rain forests. Altitude 0-100 m a.s.l. Local and common names known in Cameroon. None recorded. IUCN conservation status. Not evaluated. Uses in Cameroon. None reported. Notes. Uvaria comperei belongs to a group of species characterized by having sepals mostly free or basally fused and long stipitate globose monocarps with laterally inserted stipes. In flower characters, U. comperei is very close to U. gabonensis (not found in Cameroon to date) and Le Thomas (1968b) distinguished the former mainly based on differences of the leaves which has a rounded to broadly cordate leaf base and a long petiole. In addition, in U. gabonensis the lower side of the leaves have short appressed stellate hairs and the monocarps are smooth and densely tomentose versus short appressed stellate hairs intermixed with some longer erect fasciculate hairs (the latter mostly near the midrib) and bumpy and sparsely pubescent in U. comperei . Specimens examined. Littoral Region : Lac Ossa Nord Dizangue , 3.84°N , 10.03°E , Achoundong G. 786 (YA); Lac Ossa Nord Dizangue , 3.84°N , 10.03°E , Achoundong G. 790 (YA). South-West Region : North Base , 4.01°N , 9.283°E , 24 April 1992 , Tchouto Mbatchou G.P. 167 (K,YA) .