Monodora tenuifolia Benth.

Tree to 20(30) m high; d.b.h. to 60 cm; outer bark dark grey to greenish, dark green reticulated striped or white lenticellate; young branches green to brown, glabrous; old branches grey to dark brown sometimes with white elongated lenticels. Petioles 2-7 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, glabrous, leaf lamina inserted on side, broadly grooved adaxially. Leaf lamina (6-)9-21 cm long, 2-7.5 cm wide, length:width ratio 2-3, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or narrowly ovate to ovate, base cuneate, apex acuminate, acumen 5-10 mm long, papyraceous to coriaceous, glabrous, green above, pale green below; midrib raised and glabrous adaxially, prominent and glabrous abaxially; secondary veins 9-15 pairs, strongly curved upwards, glabrous. Flowers single, generally leaf-opposed, appearing on old branches just before or during leaf flush, pendulous. Flowering pedicels 25-75 mm long, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, glabrous, light green. Upper bract inserted halfway up to sub apically on the pedicel, 55-60 mm long, 10-30 mm wide, length:width ratio 2-3, narrowly ovate to ovate, base decurrent, apex rounded, glabrous on both surfaces, green shortly streaked red at apex; margins undulate, with short erect hairs. Sepals 10-35 mm long, 4-16 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.5-2.5, narrowly ovate to ovate, base truncate, apex rounded to attenuate, glabrous, green with red-brown markings; reflexed vertically, falling when in fruit, margins undulate, with short erect hairs. Outer petals 30-74(-90) mm long, 25-30 mm wide, length:width ratio 2-3, narrowly ovate to ovate, base truncate, apex acute to rounded, glabrous, yellow-greenish, streaked with red-brown, base shading into bright white; spreading horizontally with tips slightly falling downwards; margins strongly undulate, glabrous. Inner petals 10-35 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, length:width ratio 2.8-3, clawed cochleate, base cuneate, apex acute to rounded, both surfaces glabrous, green to white streaked with red brownish, non connivent; margins straight, with short erect hairs, presence of two hairy appendices 3-5 mm long halfway up the lamina. Receptacle 4-6 mm in diameter, convex. Stamens in 10-13 rows, 0.8-1 mm long, covered with short erect hairs, white turning yellow; connective shield ca. 0.1 mm long, those of inner whorl not extended over ovary wall. Ovary 2-3 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide; stigma ca. 2 mm in diameter, glabrous, green at anthesis. Fruiting pedicels 3-7 cm long, 3-4 mm in diameter, woody, glabrous. Fruits 4-7 cm long, 4.5-7 cm in diameter, length:width ratio ca. 1, globose, non apiculate, smooth, glabrous, green with pale spots turning yellow and drying black, partly covered in grey-blue wax layer on dried material; pericarp 5-6 mm thick. Seeds 12-17 mm long 10-13 mm wide, transversely broadly ellipsoid, packed in white pulp; testa smooth, light brown; raphe slightly thickened, rugose, brown; hilum 5-6 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, narrowly ovate.