''Monodora stenopetala'' is a species of

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

in the family

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest ...

. It is native to

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

and

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

. Daniel Oliver, the English botanist who first formally described the species, named it after its narrow (Latinized form of Greek , stenos) petals.

Description

It is a bush or small tree. Its leaves are 8.5–11 by 3–4.2 centimeters and rounded at their tips. The leaves are lightly hairy on their upper and lower surfaces. Its petioles are 3–4 millimeters long. Its solitary flowers are extra-axillary. Each flower is on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

1-1.6 centimeters long. Its flowers have 3 oblong

sepals A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

that are 4–5 millimeters long. The sepals are smooth, curved backwards, and have wavy or fringed margins. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3. The outer petals are yellow, 3.5–5 by 0.2–0.4 centimeters, and smooth or lightly hairy. The inner petals are similarly colored. The inner petals have a 0.3–0.7 centimeter long

claw A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or Arthro ...

at their base and a 0.2–0.4 by 0.35–0.5 centimeter blade. The inner petals are smooth on their outer surface, and hairy inside. Its

stamens The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

that are 0.35 millimeters long. Its fruit are 6 by 4 centimeters smooth ellipsoids. Its smooth yellow-brown seeds are 1.5–2 centimeters long.

Reproductive biology

The pollen of ''M. stenopetala'' is shed as permanent tetrads.

Habitat and distribution

It has been observed growing in dense

thicket A thicket is a very dense stand of trees or tall shrubs, often dominated by only one or a few species, to the exclusion of all others. They may be formed by species that shed large numbers of highly viable seeds that are able to germinate in th ...

s and woodslands at elevations from 100 to 500 meters.

Uses

It has been reported to be used in Mozambique as a traditional medicine.

References

stenopetala Flora of Malawi Flora of Mozambique Plants described in 1868 Taxa named by Daniel Oliver {{annonaceae-stub