Uvariodendron anisatum

Family

Annonaceae

Synonyms

Vernacular names

Origin and geographic distribution

The distribution of Uvariodendron anisatum is limited to central and southern Kenya.

show more data (5)

Uses

The wood is used for walking sticks and handles of axes.

Botany

Shrub or small tree up to 9(–15) m tall; bole up to 40 cm in diameter; bark surface smooth, grey-brown; twigs with lenticels, glabrous, with an odour of anise when crushed. Leaves alternate, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole 4–7 mm long, thick; blade oblong to elliptical, 8–30 cm × 3.5–11 cm, cuneate to rounded at base, acute to obtuse at apex, thinly leathery, slightly short-hairy below, pinnately veined with 16–21 pairs of lateral veins. Flowers solitary in the leaf axils or on branches or bole, bisexual, regular, 3-merous, pendulous, scented; pedicel 2.5–3.5 cm long; sepals free, kidney-shaped, 5–6 mm long, short-hairy outside; petals 6, in 2 whorls, ovate to elliptical-obovate, 2–2.5 cm long, fleshy, velvety brown hairy outside, creamy white to yellow; stamens numerous, c. 2 mm long, anthers sessile; carpels 5–15, free, c. 3.5 mm long, hairy. Fruit consisting of 4–15 indehiscent cylindrical follicles 2.5–6 cm × 1.5–2 cm, becoming glabrous, bluish black, slightly constricted between the seeds, each follicle 5–16-seeded. Seeds ellipsoid, flattened, 1–1.5 cm × c. 1 cm, pale brown, with ruminate endosperm.
Uvariodendron comprises about 15 species and is restricted to tropical Africa.

Description

Other botanical information

show more data (1)

Ecology

Uvariodendron anisatum occurs in rather dry evergreen forest at 1150–1800 m altitude. It is locally common.

show more data (5)

Genetic resources and breeding

Being endemic to Kenya, Uvariodendron anisatum has a small distribution area, in which there is much human activity such as development of urban areas and agriculture. In the IUCN Red List it is classified as vulnerable.

Prospects

The use of the wood will remain of limited importance. Monitoring of the populations is needed because Uvariodendron anisatum may become threatened with extinction in the near future.

Major references

• Beentje, H.J., 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. 722 pp.
• Verdcourt, B., 1971. Annonaceae. In: Milne-Redhead, E. & Polhill, R.M. (Editors). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. 131 pp.
• World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 1998. Uvariodendron anisatum. In: IUCN. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. [Internet] http://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed January 2009.

show more data (1)

Other references

• Couvreur, T.L.P., 2008. Revealing the secrets of African Annonaceae. Systematics, evolution and biogeography of the syncarpous genera Isolona and Monodora. PhD thesis Wageningen University, Netherlands. 296 pp.

Author(s)

•	R.H.M.J. Lemmens PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Editors

•	R.H.M.J. Lemmens PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
•	D. Louppe CIRAD, Département Environnements et Sociétés, Cirad es-dir, Campus international de Baillarguet, TA C-DIR / B (Bât. C, Bur. 113), 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
•	A.A. Oteng-Amoako Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), University P.O. Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana

Associate editors

•	E.A. Obeng Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), University P.O. Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana

Correct citation of this article

Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2009. Uvariodendron anisatum Verdc. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>. Accessed .

Additional references

Citation in books
	There are 8 book citations related to *Uvariodendron anisatum Verdc.*. Click on "show more" to view them.

Citation in web searches
	There are 31 citation in web searches related to *Uvariodendron anisatum Verdc.*. Click on "show more" to view them.

Citation in scholarly articles
	There are 6 citation in scholarly articles related to *Uvariodendron anisatum Verdc.*. Click on "show more" to view them.

Citation in Wikipedia
	There are 7 Wikipedia citations related to *Uvariodendron anisatum Verdc.*. Click on "show more" to view them.