Monodora grandidieri
Tree to 10-12 m tall, much branched; d.b.h. to 15 cm; outer bark grey or brown, fairly smooth and faintly longitudinally striate, sometimes pealing off; young branches green, densely covered with short erect hairs to glabrous; old branches black with white lenticels, glabrous to sparsely covered with short erect hairs. Petioles 2-6 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm in diameter, densely covered with short erect hairs, rarely glabrous, leaf lamina inserted on top, broadly grooved adaxially. Leaf lamina 4-23(-25) cm long, 3-10 cm wide, length:width ratio 1.5-3.5, narrowly obovate to obovate, base cordate, apex acuminate, acumen ca. 15 mm long, papyraceous when young becoming coriaceous when old, densely to sparsely covered with short appressed hairs to glabrous on both sides, young emerging leaves always densely to very sparsely covered with short appressed hairs; midrib adaxially impressed towards the base, covered with short appressed hairs to glabrous on both sides; secondary veins 9-14(-19) pairs, uniformally curving upwards, covered with short appressed hairs to glabrous. Flowers single, leaf-opposed, developing from young shoots before or during leaf flush, pendulous. Flowering pedicels (6-)20-50(-80) mm long, 1-1.5 mm in diameter, densely to sparsely covered with short erect hairs, rarely glabrous. Upper bract inserted at the center to subapical to the pedicel, curving upwards, 4-10(-20) mm long, 4-10 mm wide, length:width ratio 0.7-2, broadly ovate to ovate, base decurrent, apex attenuate to acute, densely covered with short erect hairs, green, dark red at base, reflexed upwards, margins undulate, densely covered with short erect hairs. Sepals 5-15(-20) mm long, 5-7 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.8-5, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, base truncate, apex acute, densely covered with short appressed hairs outside, sparsely covered with short appressed hairs inside, green to red brown with green veins, margins undulate, densely covered with short appressed hairs. Outer petals (10-)15-60(-70) mm long, 3-12(-18) mm wide, length:width ratio 3.3-12, narrowly oblong to linear or spatulate, base truncate, apex acute, sparsely covered with short appressed hairs on both surfaces, green to yellow horizontally streaked with red-purple markings becoming bright white at base, spreading horizontally and curving downwards towards the end; margins undulate, densely covered with short erect hairs. Inner petals (4-)6-10(-12) mm long, 5-15 mm wide, length:width ratio 0.4-1.3, clawed cordate, base cordate, apex acute, densely covered with erect ca. 1.5 mm long hairs around the center inside, sparsely covered with short appressed hairs outside, white with red-brown veins and yellowish to red margins, connivent by margins; margins undulate, densely covered with short appressed hairs; claw incurved, 5-15 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, claw:inner petal ratio 0.4-1.2(-1.5), sparsely covered with short erect hairs to glabrous, white. Receptacle 4-5 mm in diameter, slightly convex. Stamens in 5-7 rows, ca. 1.5 mm long, connective shield ca. 0.2 mm long, glabrous, white, those of innermost row not elongate over ovary wall. Ovary ca. 2 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; stigma 1.5-2 mm in diameter, sparsely covered with short erect hairs, yellow. Fruiting pedicels 1,5-3 cm long, 3-4 mm in diameter, glabrous to densely covered with short appressed hairs. Fruits 45-65 mm long, 35-45 mm wide, globose to obovoid, minutely rugose, covered with short erect hairs to sparsely covered with short erect hairs; pericarp 2-4 mm thick. Seeds10-18 mm long, 5-11 mm wide, transversely ellipsoid, packed in white pulp; testa smooth, light brown; raphe slightly thickened, brown; hilum 6-7 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, narrowly elliptical.
Monodora grandidieri is easily recognizable by its cordate leaf base, hairy pedicels and narrowly oblong or linear outer petals. The cordate leaf base is only found in one other species, M. myristica. The narrowly oblong or linear outer petals resembles those of M. stenopetala, although the latter are in general much narrower and straight.
Monodora grandidieri is a variable species as noted by Robson (1960) and Verdcourt (1971). The flowers can vary from small to large. However, this variation is continuous, and thus does not merit recognition of varieties between the two extremes. Hair indument of the leaves and young branches is also very variable, ranging from densely hairy to glabrous sometimes even within the same specimen. However, the very young emerging leaves are always at least sparsely hairy, mainly along the margins. Petals and sepals are invariably hairy. At lower altitudes, M. grandidieri sheds its leaves every year, while at higher altitudes leaves can persist for longer.
In Kenya, the wood is sometimes used to make arrows and bows (Beentje 1994), or used as medicine (but unknown for what it is treated against). The fruit is edible (Maundu and Tengnäs 2005).
NT. Monodora grandidieri is well represented in herbaria and has been collected quite often in recent years. It has been collected in numerous protected areas (Selous Game Reserve, Amani Nature Reserve, Udzungwa National Park and Jozani Forest Reserve in Tanzania; Livulezi Reserve in Malawi, Sokoke Forest Reserve in Kenya). Even though the area of occupancy is less than 2000 km2, it is known from more than 10 localities and thus is better placed in the “near threatened” category.
Molecular data indicate that this species is sister to the rest of the monophyletic East African species.
Present throughout East Africa from southern Somalia to southern Mozambique; in lowland rain forests and thicket; at 0-900 m altitude.