Monodora tenuifolia
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.
Monodora tenuifolia is easily recognizable from the rest of Monodora species by the presence of two small hairy appendages in the middle of the inner petals. The young fruits have a grey-blue wax layer, which is also found in M. minor, although in the latter it is present on young branches and leaves, and pedicels.
The fruits are edible (Burkill 1985). The seeds are aromatic and used as a condiment in food (Burkill 1985). Moreover, the seeds are used to prevent haemorrhaging, encourage cicatrisation or are crushed and rubbed against the skin for skin-diseases (Burkill 1985). A root decoction is drunk againt dysentery, while seeds are ground and rubbed against skin against skin diseases (Neuwinger 2000). A leaf decoction is added to bath water against iching in children (Burkill 1985; Neuwinger 2000). In Democratic Republic of Congo young branches are used as bows, and in the Uturi forest the bark fiber is made into waistbands (Terashima and Ichikawa 2003). In Sierra Leone, the bark is used as medicine for dogs but without any indication of the purpose (Burkill 1985). Planted as ornamental tree in the tropics and in certain botanical gardens (e.g. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (U.K.)).
LC. Monodora tenuifolia is a common species regarding its extensive representation in herbaria, and has a wide distribution across West and Central Africa. Thus the “Least Concern” category is suitable.
Molecular data indicate that M. tenuifolia is most closely related to M. crispata, although with low support.
West and Central tropical Africa, from Guinea to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo; in evergreen primary and secondary rain forests, fringing and disturbed forests and deciduous forests, sometimes in savanna like vegetation (Benin), on sandy soils; at 0-800 m altitude.