Monotes elegans Gilg

12. Monotes elegans Gilg View in CoL

Monotes elegans Gilg (1908b) View in CoL 291. — Type: Holtz 1474 (holo B†?, n.v.), Tanzania, Tabora, s.d.

Tree up to 10 m tall, or shrub. Leaves 8 –11 by 4.5 –7 cm, elliptic to oblong or obovate-oblong, rounded to cordate at the base, rounded to cordate at the apex, upper surface glabrous or with some remaining hairs and yellow glands in the midrib and lateral nerves; lower surface discolorous, greyish to brownish, with an indumentum of short cottony hairs on the nerves and veins, interreticular areoles covered with minute stellate hairs, 12–16 pairs of lateral nerves; petiole slender, 10–15 mm long. Inflorescences axillary, many-flowered, up to 6 cm long. Flowers with sepals c. 3 mm long, petals c. 10 mm long, anthers with a rounded appendage at the apex. Fruits subglobose, 1–1.5 cm diam; wings variable in shape and size but commonly narrowly elliptical to broadly elliptical, 2.5 – 4 by 1– 2 cm.

Ecology — In subxerophytic woodland; altitude of 1200– 1300 m.

Distribution — BI: Barbosa 11341 (LISC); Barbosa & Moreno 12237 (LISC); Exell & Mendonça 1744 (COI). – LS: Exell & Mendonça 1228 (COI, LISC). Also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Note — As referred by Bancroft (1939a), M. elegans is a very variable species with close affinities to M. caloneurus and M. hypoleucus .