Xylopia acutiflora (Dunal) A.Rich.

First published in R.de la Sagra, Hist. Phys. Cuba, Pl. Vasc.: 55 (1841)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Sierra Leone to W. Ivory Coast. It is a tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or tree, 2–20 (30) m. high, sometimes scrambling.
Morphology Branches
Branches orange-red to purple-brown, smooth, spreading-pubescent at first, eventually glabrous; lenticels usually numerous; bark often exfoliating.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate; lamina 5.5–11.5 x 2–4.6 cm., oblong to elliptic or ovate-elliptic, acute or usually acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, membranous, bluish-green or greyish and glabrous (except along the midrib) above, green to orange-brown (not glaucous) and ± densely sericeous- or appressed-pubescent below, with densely reticulate venation usually more prominent below than above; petiole 1.5–6 mm. long, blackish, appressed-pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary (very rarely 2–3), fragrant; pedicels absent or up to 6 mm. long, appressed-rusty-pubescent; bracteoles 2–5, oblong to orbicular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 2–3.5 mm. long, ovate to semi-orbicular, obtuse or apiculate to rounded, appressed-pubescent outside, glabrous and magenta within.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white or pale yellow outside, magenta within, the outer ones 2–5 x 0.3–0.4 cm., linear, curved in section above, broadened and concave at the base, sericeous-pubescent outside, puberulous or glabrous within; the inner ones somewhat shorter and narrower, otherwise similar.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 1.5–2 mm. long, linear or cuneate; connective-prolongation ± obliquely capitate, papillose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels 5–10, 3.5–4.5 mm. long; ovary ovoid-cylindric, appressed-pilose; style c. 1.5–2 times as long as the ovary, cylindric, with a terminal tuft of hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit on a pedicel 4–7 mm. long; fruiting carpels 3–9, 1–4.8 x 0.8–1.1 cm., 1–8-seeded, cylindric or obovoid, curved, not apiculate, glabrescent, finely rugose, scarcely vertically ridged, scarlet outside, pink within, on stipes 4–10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds c. 1 cm. long, ellipsoid, reddish-brown, oblique, uniseriate; aril inconspicuous.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/137016079/143272642

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Annonaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit
A shrub or small tree of forest
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits scarlet.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0