Uvariastrum pierreanum Engl. & Diels

Tree to 20-25 m high, d.b.h. up to 40 cm; bole cylindrical, old branches spreading, glabrous, truck fluted when old, bark brown-grey; first year branches sparsely pubescent to glabrous, hairs ca. 0.5-1 mm long, appressed, light brown; leaf buds elongated, pubescent, hairs ca. 1 mm long, appressed, light brown. Petioles 2-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm in diameter; glabrous, sometimes sparsely pubescent in first year leaves, hairs ca. 0.5 mm long, appressed; leaf lamina inserted on top, weakly grooved adaxially. Leaf lamina 6-12(-16) cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, length:width ratio 2.5-4.2, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or narrowly obovate to obovate, sometimes narrowly oblong to oblong, papyraceous to sub coriaceous in older leaves, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, hairs ca. 0.3 mm long, appressed, light brown; lamina dark green adaxially; light green abaxially; base cuneate to decurrent, apex acuminate, acumen 0.7-2 cm long, lamina margins wavy; midribglabrous on both sides; secondary veins 7-12, curving upwards, arching towards margins, glabrous, slightly raised adaxially; clearly visible abaxially. Raphidia 1-3 on young to old branches, numerous when cauliflorous. Flowering pedicel 1.5-5 cm long, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to densely pubescent, hairs 0.3 mm long, appressed, light brown. Bracts 1, basal to sub basal, ca. 6 mm long and wide, length:width ratio ca. 1, very broadly ovate, apex acuminate, base truncate, pubescent outside, hairs ca. 0.2 mm long, appressed, light brown, glabrous inside. Flower buds up to 3 cm long, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, pyramidal, margins strongly reflexed. Sepals 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, length:width ratio 1.2-1.4, broadly ovate, tomentose brown, and sparsely pubescent inside, hairs 0.2 mm long, appressed, light brown; tomentose light brown outside, glabrous towards center. Sepals grey-green in fresh material, light brown to yellowish outside, yellowish inside along margins, black at center inside. Outer petals 2.5-4 cm long, 0.8-1.5 cm wide, length:width ratio 2-3, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, base narrowed, apex acute; densely pubescent outside, more so along central vein, hairs ca. 0.1 mm long, appressed, light brown; sparsely pubescent inside, hairs 0.1 mm long, appressed, light brown. Inner petals 1.5-2.8 cm long, 0.6-1.5 cm wide, length:width ratio 1.6-2.6, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, base narrowed, apex acute, pubescence similar to outer petals. Petals yellow to grayish-yellow in fresh material; dark brown to grey outside, black inside in herbarium material. Stamens 4-6 mm long, connective discoid, pubescent, ca. 1 mm in diameter, pinkish red. Carpels 5-10, 4-6 mm long, 1.5-2 mm in diameter, stigma weakly bilobed, ca. 2 mm in diameter, drying back, densely pubescent, hairs ca. 0.5 mm long, appressed upwards, light brown; ovules 24-35. Fruiting pedicels 1.5-5 cm long, 4-6 mm in diameter, woody, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Monocarps 3-5, up to 9-10 cm long, 4-5 cm wide, globose to ellipsoid, generally straight; not ribbed, smooth, densely tomentose brown, light green in vivo, all over giving a velvety aspect; pale bluish green turning brown at maturity on fresh material; apex rounded, stipe 0-4 mm long, 3-5 mm wide; not rostrate. Seeds numerous per monocarp, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, ellipsoid flat, 5-9 mm in depth; testa black to brown, smooth, easily falling off revealing the ruminate endosperm; raphe raised; hilum 0.7-1 cm long, 3-5 mm wide, narrowly ellipsoid.