Annonaceae
Artabotrys

Artabotrys brachypetalus Benth.

First published in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 23: 467 (1862)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tanzania to Northern Prov. It is a climbing shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Annonaceae, N. K. B. Robson. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Shrub, small tree or liane, 2–10.5 m. high.
Morphology Branches
Branches reddish-brown, rusty-tomentose at first, eventually glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate; lamina (2) 4.5–11 (15) x (1.2) 2.2–6.6 (7.5) cm., obovate to oblanceolate or elliptic-oblong, obtuse or rounded to apiculate or shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, coriaceous, bluish- or bright-green, glossy and glabrous or sparsely pubescent above, ± matte and glabrescent or ± densely pubescent below, equally densely reticulate on both sides; petiole 3–5 mm. long, shortly and ± densely tomentose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary in the axils of biseriate tomentose caducous bracts on short condensed zig-zag secondary peduncles, rarely on the primary peduncle; primary peduncle usually uncinate; pedicels 1–3.5 (4) cm. long, broadening above, sub-appressed-pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 6–11 mm. long, ovate to lanceolate-elliptic, acute or obtuse, free, subappressed-pubescent outside, subglabrous within.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow or cream to greenish, ± coriaceous, subequal, 6–15 mm. long, broadly ovate or elliptic, not concave at the base, obtuse or apiculate, sparsely appressed-pubescent or strigose outside, glabrous and rugose within.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2 mm. long, linear-cuneiform; connective broadened above, truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels 6–15, c. 2 mm. long, narrowly ovoid, glabrous, 2-ovulate; style cylindric, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit on a pedicel 1.5–4 cm. long; fruiting carpels 1–8, 1.5–2.2 x 0.8–1.5 cm., 1–2-seeded, oblong-cylindric to obovoid, apiculate or not, glabrous, smooth, blackish-purple, with stipes 5–9 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds c. 1.2–1.7 cm. long, plano-convex or cylindric.
[FZ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/146209461/146209464

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Annonaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Shrub, small tree or liane 2–10.5 m. long or tall; branchlets reddish-brown, rusty pubescent when young but usually soon glabrous, grey, ridged and lenticellate.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades obovate to oblanceolate or elliptic-oblong, (2–)4.5–ll(–15.5) cm. long, (1.2–)2.2–6.6(–8) cm. wide, rounded to shortly acuminate at the apex, rounded to cuneate at the base, coriaceous, glabrous and often shiny or sparsely to densely pubescent above, glabrescent to densely pubescent beneath, reticulate on both surfaces; petioles 3–6(–7) mm. long, mostly adpressed pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary in the axils of biseriate tomentose deciduous bracts on short condensed zigzag secondary peduncles, rarely on the primary peduncle which is usually hooked; pedicels l–3.5(–4) cm. long, somewhat thickened towards the apex, sparsely to densely adpressed pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals free, ovate to lanceolate-elliptic, 0.6–1.1 (–1.2) cm. long, 4–8 mm. wide, acute or obtuse, sparsely to densely adpressed pubescent outside, glabrescent within.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, cream or greenish, subequal, rather thick, broadly ovate to elliptic, 0.6–1.5 cm. long, 5–8 mm. wide, obtuse or apiculate, sparsely adpressed pubescent outside, glabrous inside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens narrowly cuneiform, 1.5–2 mm. long; connective-appendage truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels 6–18(–23); ovary narrowly ovoid, ± 2 mm. long, glabrous; style cylindric, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Monocarps 1–8, blackish-purple, obovoid or cylindric-oblong, 1.5–2.2 cm. long, 0.8–1.5 cm. wide, smooth and glabrous; stipes 5–9 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds cylindric or ellipsoid, plano-convex, 1.2–1.7 cm. long, 1 cm. wide, 6 mm. thick.
Habitat
Riverine forest, deciduous woodland and thickets; up to 300 m.
Distribution
T8 Congo (Katanga), Central Africa to Transvaal (Zoutpansberg)
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0