Hexalobus monopetalus Engl. & Diels

Species

Angiosperms > Magnoliales > Annonaceae > Hexalobus

Characteristics

Shrub or tree 2–9 m. tall, often much branched; branches spreading, densely brownish pubescent or tomentellous when young, later glabrous, scarred by the persistent petiole-bases.. Leaf-blades elliptic-oblong to obovate, 2.3–10(–15) cm. long, 1–6.5 cm. wide, obtuse, rounded or emarginate at the apex, cuneate to subcordate at the base, mostly rather thick, glabrescent on both surfaces or often densely to sparsely pubescent beneath, the midrib at least persistently adpressed pubescent or tomentellous; venation raised or rather obscure; petiole l–4(–8) mm. long, pubescent.. Flowers solitary or 2–3 in clusters, opening after the leaves have fallen; pedicels almost obsolete; bracteoles 2–3, rounded-elliptic, cucullate, the inner ones enclosing the bud, silvery pilose with adpressed brown hairs outside, glabrous and rugose inside.. Sepals ovate-elliptic, 4–6 mm. long, 4–5.5 mm. wide, acute or obtuse, cucullate, spreading, with indumentum similar to that of the bracteoles.. Corolla yellow, greenish or cream; tube 5–6 mm. long; lobes narrowly lanceolate, inner whorl narrower with lobes indented inwards at the base above the tube and margins reflexed to form a covered hollow, 1–2 cm. long, 3.5–6 mm. wide, obtuse, thin, corrugated, with silky brown hairs at the base outside, adpressed puberulous outside towards the apex and also inside.. Stamens linear or obconic, 1–1.5 mm. long, glabrous.. Carpels 4–6, densely pubescent.. Fruit subsessile; monocarps scarlet, l–3(–4), obovoid or ellipsoid-cylindric, or if few-seeded transversely ellipsoid, 1.5–5 cm. long, 1–2.5 cm. wide, 2–8(–ll)-seeded, not or somewhat constricted between the seeds, sparsely puberulous with brown hairs, finely rugose or reticulate-rugose, sessile.. Seeds brown, compressed-ovoid, shaped like a spider’s body, 1.2–1.5 cm. long, 6–9 mm. wide, 7–8 mm. thick, with a raised rounded triangular terminal hilum produced into lateral rugose ridges at either side.
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A shrub or tree which loses its leaves during the year. In tropical regions it grows 12 m tall. It is shorter in cooler regions. The young branches are covered with brown hairs. The leaves are oval and 4-10 cm long. They are carried one after the other on opposite sides of the stalk and have short stalks. The flower buds grow in the axils of leaves. These buds are fat, golden brown and velvety and remain after the leaves fall. These develop into pale yellow almost stalkless flowers. The flower petals are narrow and very crinkled. The fruit are 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. They are oblong with irregular bulges. They are scarlet with a netted appearance and have green veins. The flesh is dark red when ripe. They are juicy and edible.
Leaves petiolate; lamina 3–10 (15) x 1.5–5 (6) cm., elliptic-oblong to obovate, obtuse to rounded or emarginate at the apex, cuneate to rounded or subcordate at the base, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, concolorous, ± glabrescent above and often also below, but persistently appressed-pubescent or tomentellous along the midrib below, with arcuate-ascending nerves slightly prominent on both sides or only below and reticulate venation usually prominent only above; petiole 1–4 (8) mm. long, pubescent.
Fruit subsessile; fruiting carpels 1–3 (4), several-seeded, 2–3.5 x 1–1.5 cm., cylindric-ellipsoid to obovoid, not apiculate, sometimes constricted between the seeds, sparsely brown-puberulous, finely rugose, scarlet, sessile.
Flowers solitary, axillary, subsessile, opening after leaf-fall; bracteoles 2–3, elliptic-orbicular, cucullate, densely brown-appressed-pubescent outside, glabrous and rugose within, the inner pair enclosing the bud, caducous.
Petals yellow or cream, thin, subequal, the inner whorl narrower, 10–20 mm. long, narrowly lanceolate, corrugated, obtuse, brown-sericeous outside near the base, appressed-puberulous towards the apex and within.
Sepals 4–6 mm. long, ovate-elliptic, acute or obtuse, cucullate, brown-sericeo-pilose outside, glabrous and rugose within, spreading widely at anthesis.
Branches spreading, ± densely brownish-pubescent or-tomentellous at first, eventually glabrous, with ± prominent and persistent petiole-bases.
Stamens 1–1.5 mm. long, linear or obconic, glabrous; connective-appendage capitate.
Shrub or tree, sometimes much branched but not climbing, 2–7 (9) m. high.
Seeds 1.2–1.5 x 0.6–0.7 cm., semi-lunar, triquetrous.
Carpels 4–6, densely pubescent.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 7.0 - 9.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It grows in tropical and warm places. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in low altitude bush and scrub. It is often on rocky hillsides. It grows in savannah places. It can grow in arid places. In Zimbabwe it grows between 870-1,360 m above sea level. In Tanzania it grows between 900-1,500 m above sea level and in areas with a rainfall between 750-1,300 mm. It can grow in a range of soils.
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Savannah woodland. Open woodlands in dry regions as well as reasonably well-watered ones. Miombo woodland and Combretum-Terminalia scrub, at elevations from 900-1,500 metres.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

The fruit are eaten raw. The have a pleasant flavour. They can be dried. They are also used for jam.
Uses animal food environmental use fiber food fuel gene source material medicinal wood
Edible flowers fruits leaves nuts seeds
Therapeutic use Diarrhea (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

It can be grown from fresh seed.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Hexalobus monopetalus unspecified picture

Conservation status

Hexalobus monopetalus threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:73714-1
WFO ID wfo-0000721785
COL ID 3LGHH
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Uva huillensis Uvaria huillensis Uvaria monopetala Hexalobus glabrescens Hexalobus huillensis Hexalobus tomentosus Hexalobus monopetalus Hexalobus senegalensis Hexalobus monopetalus var. parvifolius Hexalobus monopetalus var. obovatus